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WTM reveals 2014 visitor numbers
The latest figures from World Travel Market say there was a 4% increase in attendees over the four days for this year’s show.
Organisers claims 2014 was the largest trade-only WTM event and saw a fifth consecutive year of growth.
But while numbers were up on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, numbers on Thursday were ‘on a par with 2013’.
Despite issuing the figures today, WTM organisers have still not responded to calls from tourist boards to scrap the fourth day.
A poll of ANTOR, PATA (Asia), LATA (Latin America), ATTA (Africa) and SKAL members following the exhibition has shown a strong preference for the event to be reduced to three days.
The survey found 60% said they did not meet the contacts they had hoped to see on the Thursday and of these respondents 80% believe the exhibition would be even more successful run as a three-day event.
Survey results showed an average of one-third of total exhibiting partners attended on the Thursday with some respondents reporting less than one-fifth.
Nigel Vere Nicoll Chief Executive of ATTA (The African Travel & Tourism Association) said many African exhibitors the ‘cost and waste of this fourth day, giving no return whatsoever, is substantial and in no way sustainable’.
Chris Lee, chairman of PATA UK, said only three of Thailand’s 80 co-exhibitors attended on Thursday, with just a handful of appointments between them.
" With this in mind, many of our members will not be able to justify keeping the stand open if they continue with a fourth day next year," he said.
A poll by TravelMole in April showed 70% of readers believed it would be better if the show was only three days long.
Despite numerous requests, WTM organisers have still not responded to requests for a comment.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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