Luis Araújo was born in Vigo (Spain) in 1970, son of a Portuguese father and a Spanish mother.  He spent his childhood and youth on Madeira Island, having graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon in 1994.

He began his career in the tourism sector in 1996 as a legal advisor to the Administration of the Pestana Hotels & Resorts Group, having held various positions within the Group over 20 years (from Administrator to Vice President for Latin America) with responsibilities in different areas, from HR to Sustainability (a department he created in 2009), including new businesses in countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil.  He was also responsible for the development of projects in Portugal such as the Cascais Citadel, among others.

Between 2005 and 2007 he was Head of the Office of the Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, having, in addition to the daily management of the Office, actively participated in the structuring of the National Strategic Plan for Tourism (PENT) and in the restructuring of national tourism governance (with the creation of Turismo de Portugal IP).

In 2016 he assumed the Presidency of Turismo de Portugal, supervising the strategic planning and management of the national tourism authority.  Between 2016 and 2023, it implemented policies and programs that enhanced the competitiveness, quality and sustainability of the tourist offer, as well as visitor satisfaction and loyalty, with Turismo de Portugal winning several awards and recognitions, such as Best Tourism Organization of the World by the World Travel Awards.

In 2019 he energized and founded, through Turismo de Portugal, the Center for Innovation in Tourism of Portugal-NEST.  He led the first innovation hub for tourism in Portugal between the date of its founding fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among tourism stakeholders, facilitating the development and adoption of new technologies and solutions, and creating new business opportunities and value propositions for the sector.

In 2020 he was elected President of the European Travel Commission (ETC), an association that brings together 35 European Tourism Organizations, a position he held until 2023.

Luis Araujo believes that tourism and travel are tools for growth and sustainable development, not only for the sector, but also for society, the environment and culture.  His vision is to create a more inclusive, resilient and innovative tourism ecosystem, where everyone can benefit from the opportunities and experiences that tourism and travel can offer, always with responsibility and respect for the environment and society in which they operate.