This year marks the 43rd edition of the prestigious World Travel Market London where key stakeholders from the travel and tourism industry exchange ideas, announce new projects and shape the conversation around the future of the industry over the coming months. We speak to Juliette Losardo, exhibition director of World Travel Market London, to learn more about this year’s event which will be held from November 7-9 at ExCel London.
After two challenging years for the travel and tourism industry, what can we expect from WTM London 2022?
World Travel Market brings together the global leisure travel community; providing inspiration, education, sourcing, and benchmarking for travel professionals.
The conference at World Travel Market will address and debate solutions to the emerging trends coming out of the tourism sector and provide a home to the largest gathering of tourism policy makers globally – The Ministers Summit – in association with UNWTO and WTTC.
With the strapline “The Future of Travel Starts Now” we will look forward to the future, beyond the pandemic, and focus on how the industry moves forward and keeps up the resilience that it has shown through the pandemic – thereby enabling business deals and resolution-based conversations.
In our 42nd year, World Travel Market will attract huge global attention and provides the ideal platform for those working in international travel and tourism to reunite to develop their business networks, explore trends and seal important deals.
What will be the approach of the new generation to travel in general?
The concept of how the new generation will approach travel is truly fascinating. We have done much research on this topic over the past 12 months at World Travel Market, and within the conference programme you’ll see speakers addressing this very issue. One of the key themes which we see emerging is that newer generations choose their leisure based on experience, rather than simply by destination.
The rise in the cost of living and inflation is putting pressure on the travel industry. Do you think it could suffer a new fall?
There will always be economic issues which affect our sector, and very few industries are immune to such fluctuations. Travel and tourism are robust and contribute significantly and consistently to global GDP. Forecasts suggest that this contribution will only grow, and that the industry is on a good trajectory. I think we all hope that the standstill that was created by the global pandemic was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and in recent history there is nothing that compares. Looking to the future, I would expect challenges related to economic factors, but where the sector sees this challenge, the opportunity will be close behind.
What destinations have already confirmed their presence at WTM London 2022?
We have been overwhelmed by the support of the industry as we look forward to hosting the 42nd World Travel Market at ExCel London in November. Take a look at the list, as it gets bigger every day.
Confirmed exhibitors include tourism boards from destinations such as Greece, Mexico, Catalan Tourist Board, Balearic Islands, Guatemala, and the UAE along with hotel groups such as Hilton. There are hotels, car hire firms and technology firms, among many others.
How many buyers do you have confirmed so far and what can they expect at WTM?
Buyers can meet over 3,000 international exhibitors from every region of the world, stay ahead of the latest trends and keep an eye on future developments. So far this year we have more than 80 brand-new exhibitors who haven’t been to World Travel Market before, and the list is growing.
Buyers can organise their diaries with pre-booked appointments through the WTM Connect Me App. There’s exclusive access to The Buyers Club too, which is our hospitality lounge reserved for buyers and global leaders, plus we offer facilitated speed-networking, especially created for our buyers.
How can an event like WTM London innovate and position itself for the new demands of the travel and tourism industry?
World Travel Market is a B2B trade show, so its value lies in how it can help the industry trade more effectively. We are committed to driving business connections, leading the industry on best practices in response to emerging trends, and of course, supporting the sector in the discovery of future opportunities.
Will WTM London 2022 have again a digital format of the event?
In 2022 it will return to its live format only.
Which are some of the most exciting programmes to look forward to at the WTM?
This year there will be four new conference stages dedicated to emerging tourism trends, plus some brand-new, very exciting features around the show floor.
The Future Stage is the largest conference stage and will host fundamental and futuristic content from a variety of sub-sectors such as space tourism, aviation and responsible tourism. We will hear from world-class speakers uncovering what the future holds for the travel sector. The Future Stage will host the inaugural Ministers Summit, which is organised in association with UNWTO and WTTC.
In addition to this you’ll see a Sustainability Stage, a Technology Stage and an Insight Stage – all delving deep into the most critical topics within tourism right now.
World Travel Market London takes place from November 7-9, 2022, at Excel London. Register now at wtm.com