Business travel has defied post-pandemic expectations and when extended with leisure now represents the top opportunity for tourism growth, according to new research.   More than half of experts responding to Tourism Economics’ Travel Industry Monitor 2024 survey for the WTM Global Travel Report cited blended leisure and business travel as a tourism growth opportunity, making it the top niche mentioned.   Business travel’s performance has been “something of a surprise relative to prior expectations,” the report notes. The post-pandemic persistence of online meetings and events was expected to cause its decline.   Instead, in person meets are “still highly valued” and business overnights and spending have surpassed previous peaks. The report notes business travel is being built largely around Business Events.   Annual growth in business visits of around 19% in 2024 outstrips a growth of around 11% for leisure visits according to Tourism Economics.   Though business travel’s growth is expected to slow somewhat to around 17% in 2025, over the period 2024 to 2030 such visits are predicted to grow by around 50% against a growth in leisure visits of a little under 30% for the same period.   Significantly, business travellers are staying longer and spending more per trip. While the volume of international business visits currently remains 6% below pre-pandemic levels, the number of overnights are 3% above that 2019 benchmark.   Such extended visits are partly thanks to the trend for ‘bleisure’ - the combining of business trips with extra days of leisure tourism. In this respect remote working has had a positive effect the report notes, enabling travellers to be more flexible about working overseas around their leisure time.   However pure leisure travel, which is also seeing extending lengths of stay, remains by a large margin the most important travel segment in terms of volume and spending, comprising 69% of arrivals and 80% of global travel spending.   Juliette Losardo, exhibition director for World Travel Market London added: “WTM’s aim is to help attendees navigate change, ensuring travel professionals are equipped for the year ahead. Commissioning the WTM Global Travel Report supports our commitment to providing attendees with the latest trends shaping the travel landscape.   “Using an expansive databank covering more than 185 countries worldwide as destinations and as origin markets, covering all major bilateral tourism flows in terms of visits, nights and spend, as well as unique industry insights, the report gives a comprehensive outlook on tourism.”   The WTM Global Travel Report is produced in conjunction with Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics. It will be unveiled on Tuesday 5 November at WTM London which runs 5-7 November at Excel London,

  The rise of the global middle class is driving more demand for new holiday experiences – prompting the industry to offer more adventurous options, according to research from World Travel Market London, the world’s most influential travel and tourism event.   The exclusive WTM Global Travel Report – compiled in association with renowned researchers at Oxford Economics – has revealed that the emergence of more affluent consumers in markets around the world is driving “shifts” in the traditional travel norms – with some intrepid travellers even seeking riskier activities.   “The popularity of travel has fuelled remarkable creativity. Be it volcano-boarding in Nicaragua or cage-diving with sharks in South Africa, a broadening range of activities is available to consumers, driven by growing demand for new and unique experiences,” said the report, unveiled at WTM London on 5 November.   “Consumers are also more open to adventure, thrill-seeking and extreme experiences.   “Soft adventure activities, which are generally low risk and require limited experience, such as hiking, cycling and wildlife watching, represent the largest share of adventure tourism opportunities.   “However, hard adventure activities, like skydiving, mountaineering and whitewater rafting, are likely to gain increased traction among a typically wealthier audience more open to adventure and willing to take higher risks. This type of riskier travel is also known as frontier travel.”   Tourism Economics – an Oxford Economics company – found that 29% of travellers reported increased interest in adventure travel; 34% of consumers reported a growing interest in rural and nature-based tourism; and 57% of travellers are more interested in visiting new destinations compared to five years ago.   This increased demand for fresh places to visit will drive growth in smaller countries, such as Armenia and Serbia in Europe, as well as African destinations which offer safari holidays and adventure travel, added the report.   Saudi Arabia and Albania achieved visitor arrival growth of 80% and 74% respectively in 2024 compared to 2019, it noted, thanks to the urge to explore off the beaten track.   The “experience economy”, in which consumers prioritise memories over physical goods, has also seen growth over the last decade as developing markets have spent a higher share of their disposable income on travel, catching up the proportion of spending in many advanced economies.   Furthermore, Gen Z and Millennials place greater emphasis on experiences rather than materialistic goods, “which bodes well for the travel outlook”, added the report. “The seemingly boundless opportunities for travel companies to innovate by offering distinct and personalised offerings, aided by technology, presents exciting possibilities for the industry,” it said.   Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director at WTM London, said: “This WTM Global Travel Report is a crucial overview for the industry to see how trends have developed during 2024 and what could be around the corner in 2025 and beyond.   “With the rise of the middle class in many more countries, there’s ever more demand for more unusual and authentic experiences as holidaymakers want to get under the skin of different cultures – or even tick off those exciting bucket-list activities with the ‘frontier’ travel trend we’ve been seeing.   “Our report will prompt discussions throughout the three days of WTM London and beyond, helping drive the innovation that will support sustainable growth in our sector.”   For more information and to book your ticket, please visit: https://www.wtm.com/london/en-gb.html

WTM London's Travel Technology Conference Track will run across all three days of WTM London exploring the most important issues in travel – the ethics of AI, smart tourism, and virtual reality. On the Elevate Stage will be the first Technology Summit, where keynote speaker Bon Sian Chai, MD and Vice President, International Markets, Trip.com Group will discuss Reimagining the Future of Travel & Hospitality with Technology (Tuesday 7 November, 14:30). As artificial intelligence increases its impact, Pieter Jordaan, Group Chief Information Officer, TUI; Andrew Owen Jones, MD, SMARTSEER; and Frank Trampert, SVP, Global Managing Director, Community Sales, Sabre Hospitality discuss where AI already has influence and the potential for future applications. The AI - Boundless Opportunities for Change in Travel session (Tuesday 7 November, 15:05) is moderated by Kate Harden-England, editor, Travolution. The afternoon sees a deep dive into the theory and practice of virtual reality – Tradition meets Technology: Elevating the Travel Experience with Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality (Tuesday, 7 November, 15:55). This is followed by Solving the Unsolvable (Tuesday, 7 November, 16:25), which explores the touchpoints in travel that are next in line for tech-driven reinvention. Elsewhere, on Monday 6 November, 14:40, attendees can look forward to hearing about Guardrails for AI and Unintended Consequences on the Discover Stage, in partnership with the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council. Sam Altman, Co-Producer, Innovations of the World and Innovation Officer – US Army Reserve, will discuss the responsibility for the use of AI within travel and tourism. Another session, Harnessing Technology: Building Cities for SMART Tourism, presented in association with the World Tourism Cities Foundation, will look at tech's role in allowing cities to develop a tourism industry without impacting their inhabitants' quality (Monday, 6 November, 15:30). On Wednesday, November 8 there are two sessions on the Innovate stage in partnership with Genesys Digital Transformation.  Building a Seamless Traveller Journey with Technology (13:40) will feature Muzzammil Ahussain, CEO of Saudi Arabia's largest travel company, Almosafer; Digital Strategist Danny Cohanpour, CEO at Trove Tourism Development Advisors; and Stephanie Waismann, Chief Product Officer, Hotelbeds. This is followed by a look at how apps and websites evolve to remain relevant in a multi-channel landscape with Technologies Redefining Engagement: The Purchasing Power is in the Palm of Your Customers' Hands (14:10). WTM Start-Up Pitch Battle As part of its ongoing commitment to the travel start-up community, WTM will host its second WTM Start-Up Pitch Battle on Monday, 6 November, at 13:20, also on the Discover stage, supported by Amadeus. The prize is a free exhibition stand at WTM London 2024 and exposure to WTM's expansive network. This includes all PR opportunities at the show and an interview with the winner. Amadeus will also provide six hours of personalised mentorship with their executives. To pitch, apply here: Application for WTM's Start-up Pitch Battle (smartsheet.com). The deadline for submission is Wednesday, 25 October. Brooke Gilbertson, International Conference Manager of WTM London, said: “Today, technology is a key pillar for the travel sector.” “This year, we reflect the prevalence of tech by launching the Technology Summit on our main stage for the first time."

 

• World Travel Market will be 20% larger in 2023 – versus 2022 show;
• 14% of exhibitor bookings are new;
• Compared to pre-pandemic figures (2019), private sector exhibitor numbers are up 23%,
• African exhibitor numbers are up 27%, Caribbean exhibitor numbers are up 10% and representation from the Middle East region will be up a whopping 60%;

  World Travel Market London 2023, the world’s most influential travel & tourism event, has signed up more than 14% new exhibitors, ranging from household names to specialist firms and niche brands.   They will make up around 4,000 exhibitors at ExCeL London (6-8^th November) to exchange ideas, drive innovation and accelerate their businesses.   High-profile names debuting this year include Eurostar – the high-speed international rail service connecting the UK with mainland Europe – and ABBA Voyage, a live concert staged in London with virtual ‘Abbatars’.   Also exhibiting for the first time is the Bermuda Tourism Authority, which is heading to WTM London to highlight its culture, heritage, cuisine, wellness and sustainability offerings.   Other tourism boards making their first appearance at WTM London come from destinations as diverse as Sabah – promoting travel to northern Borneo, in Malaysia – and Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan.   Other new exhibitors from Asia are Ayana Hospitality, which offers luxury resorts and hotels in Indonesia, and Vietnam’s Thien Minh Group, showcasing its wide range of services, such as destination management, hospitality, online solutions and aviation.   Rapidly growing global online travel agency Trip.com Group will be attending to target growth within the European market, while UK-based package holiday specialist HolidayBest will promote its worldwide range of destinations and vacation styles.   Other new exhibitors will be travelling from Turkey, such as the Turkish travel agency association TURSAB, and Salkantay Trekking will be visiting from Peru, where it is a leading tour operator offering treks and adventure tours to Machu Picchu.   Delegates in the technology zone will be able to meet new tech exhibitors such as search marketing agency Vertical Leap, and payments specialist flywire – which exhibited with WTM for the first time this year at WTM Africa and is now coming to WTM London.   Jamari Douglas, VP Marketing & Communications at Bermuda Tourism Authority, Bermuda Tourism Authority said:   “We are beyond excited to be returning to WTM London 2023, bigger and better than ever before. As the market-leading international travel event, there is no better opportunity for us to showcase our special island and we look forward to sharing our latest news and offerings with the trade, alongside fresh perspectives from the organisation’s first ever female CEO, Tracy Berkeley.   “Our presence at WTM reaffirms our commitment to strengthening Bermuda’s presence in the UK market, demonstrated by our ongoing investments, such as our recent House of Bermuda event and brand new Lost Yet Found Campaign.   “The UK is our third largest market after the US and Canada and we’re extremely confident that Bermuda will take its place on the global stage as a leading tourism destination.”   Eurostar Group – formed by the merger of Eurostar and European operator Thalys last year – will be at WTM to showcase its services as well as new branding and livery.   Paul Brindley, Eurostar B2B & Indirect Sales Director, said:   “We are excited to be at WTM in 2023 with our new brand for Eurostar, a vision for growth and providing high-speed rail connectivity throughout Northern Europe to 30 million passengers by 2030!   “It’s an exciting time for sustainable rail travel and, with our new distribution tools, we are looking forward to meeting existing and new partners from around the world and continuing to build strong ethical partnerships.”   Launched in May 2022, ABBA Voyage is now booking until May 26^th, 2024.   Bernie Patry-Makin, Travel Trade Manager at ABBAVoyage.com, commented:   “We are excited to be exhibiting at WTM London 2023.   “It presents us with a fantastic opportunity to showcase the spectacular ABBA Voyage in front of a large community of international travel and tourism industry buyers. We look forward to meeting with clients old and new over the course of the three days.”   Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director at World Travel Market London, said:   “We are delighted to welcome new exhibitors to this year’s event, ranging from major destinations and well-established international brands to niche operators and hi-tech firms.   “They’ve all seen how they can play their part at the world’s most influential travel and tourism event.   “The list of new exhibitors – as well as the thousands that we’re welcoming back to our stands – shows how we help the global travel community to come together to shape the future of the industry.   “Buyers attending WTM London can meet new and established clients, seal business deals and be inspired with fresh ideas for 2024 onwards.”

For the first time, World Travel Market London attendees will have access to a bespoke app to help plan their event experience. The app, now available in the App Store and Google Play, has been designed with familiar features and some new additions. The conference programme can be filtered by date, stage, and topic, with the ability to favourite and save 'must-attend' sessions. The app includes the biographies of some 250 speakers who will be taking to the four stages – Technology, Future, Insights and Sustainability. Similarly, exhibitors can be searched and filtered by product category and geographical region – to enable visitors to find the exhibitors which best match their needs. All exhibitors, buyers, and media, can access their WTM ConnectMe Schedule via the app. There is an interactive floorplan feature using wayfinding which will go live on the WTM London app a few days before the event opens on 7 November. There will be live links to social media channels so users can post about what they see and do at the show.    

  Travel businesses and tourism destinations are being encouraged to showcase their sustainable credentials by entering the WTM World Responsible Tourism Awards 2022.   Launched in 2004, the awards recognise and reward businesses which are contributing to a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry. Winners are chosen by a group of industry experts, who meet online to enable the judging panel to be internationally diverse.   The judging panels are led by Harold Goodwin, WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor.   The 2022 awards are split into four regions, with the winner of each region going forward to compete in the Global Awards – and those global winners will be announced at WTM London 7-9 November 2022.   Entries are now closed for Africa and Latin America, as those regions are being judged first, and the winners will be announced at regional WTM shows in Latin America (5-7 April) and Africa (11-13 April).   However, entries can still be made for India until 30 June 2022 and Rest of the World until 31 August 2022.   The same assessment process is followed across all regions and categories to ensure that each entry is judged on the same basis. The 10 categories for 2022 reflect the relationship between tourism, responsibility and Covid-19:  

1. Decarbonising Travel & Tourism
2. Sustaining Employees and Communities through the Pandemic
3. Destinations Building Back Better Post-Covid
4. Increasing Diversity in Tourism: How inclusive is our industry?
5. Reducing Plastic Waste in the Environment
6. Growing the Local Economic Benefit
7. Access for the Differently-Abled: as Travellers, Employees and Holidaymakers
8. Increasing Tourism’s Contribution to Natural Heritage and Biodiversity
9. Conserving Water and Improving Water Security and Supply for Neighbours
10. Contributing to Cultural Heritage

  Businesses can enter on their own behalf or be nominated by partners, peers or customers. Gold and Silver Awards are given to the first and second placed entries in each category in each region.   The judging panel will also name one business in each category and region as “one to watch”.   Each region also has a discretionary “Judges’ Award” available for businesses whose area of expertise falls between the categories or who have been previous winners.   Harold Goodwin – WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor said:   “Since their launch at WTM London, the World Responsible Tourism Awards have grown in stature and prestige.   “Each year, we uncover remarkable case studies of responsible businesses and destinations and the awards mean their efforts are recognised globally – and they inspire others too.   “I would urge all who have been working to improve sustainable and responsible tourism to enter and spread the word about the great efforts that are being made around the world.”   Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director of WTM London, said:   “We know that thousands of businesses and organisations around the world are forging ahead with important responsible initiatives and it’s vital for WTM as a global brand to showcase these programmes, large or small.   “At COP26 in Glasgow during November 2021, the scale of the problem that we face was made clear – and many pledges were made within the travel and tourism sector to build back better after the pandemic.   “We’re determined to build on that momentum – and the legacy of the past 18 years of the WTM Responsible Tourism Awards – to recognise the great strides forward that are being made and encourage others to follow suit.”

  WTM London – the leading global event for the travel industry – has redesigned and renamed its co-located travel & hospitality technology show.   Previously called Travel Forward, it will become WTM Travel Tech and offer more features for exhibitors and visitors at WTM London 2022 (7-9 November 2022).   Show organisers are planning two theatres in the WTM Travel Tech zone – one to showcase new products and the other to host seminars, debates and presentations.   The product showcase theatre will offer exhibitors more options to present their new services and innovations to visitors.   WTM Travel Tech will also have an updated brand positioning to reflect the way it has evolved from Travel Forward, as well as a dedicated section within the WTM London website.   The changes have been made as a result of findings from in-depth research conducted among buyers, exhibitors and visitors.   The survey was conducted shortly after the respondents had attended WTM London 2021 and Travel Forward, which took place in a hybrid format for the first time, featuring a live show on 1-3 November 2021 and an online event on 8-9 November 2021.   The poll found a strong preference for Travel Forward to be closely integrated with WTM London.   Vasyl Zhygalo, WTM Portfolio Director, said: “We received very positive feedback from delegates who attended both events last year and there was great support for our new hybrid format.   “Our post-show research also indicated to us that our travel tech offering will benefit from close integration with the main WTM Lonon event, along with more content to show how travel & hospitality technology is a core element of the wider travel industry.   “The world of travel is constantly evolving, and WTM evolves too – meaning the enhanced WTM Travel Tech will offer a unique opportunity for professionals in the fast-moving technology market to come together, face-to-face, to showcase their innovations and services to a global audience.   “Exhibitors from more than 100 countries attended WTM London in person last year, and this year’s event will be even bigger and better as the sector’s recovery gathers pace – meaning WTM Travel Tech will present unrivalled opportunities for exhibitors, sponsors, buyers and visitors to meet, do business and network.   “Over the past few years, our travel tech partners have been recognised brands such as Amadeus, Sabre, Mastercard and Oracle. Technology will be fundamental to the short-term recovery and long-term future of the travel industry, and the WTM Travel Tech is 100% committed to helping all stakeholders connect the dots.”   Access WTM Travel Tech pages:  

• Travel Tech Homepage: https://www.wtm.com/travel-tech/en-gb.html
• WTM London Travel Tech: https://www.wtm.com/london/en-gb/travel-tech.html

  #TravelTech

  Thousands of travel industry professionals from more than 140 countries are attending WTM London from for what is expected to be the largest in-person industry gathering since the pandemic began. The relaxation of travel rules in the UK and overseas has prompted a surge in exhibitor bookings and buyer registrations. More than 30 tourism ministers are expected including those from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Egypt, the Philippines and Sierra Leone. WTM London will feature key sessions with insights and research about how the sector can recover from the pandemic and begins with the presentation of the annual WTM Industry Report, which sets out the key trends that exhibitors and buyers need to know. WTM London will also host the Travel Forward conference which focuses on the technology driving the industry's recovery, and International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) which will hold the 'Invest Finance Restart' investment summit. UK Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "It's been a challenging period for the travel and tourism sectors, but the huge international attendance at the World Travel Market is testament to the resilience and hard work of those in the industry." WTM's annual responsible tourism programme will debate travel and tourism's role in the climate crisis featuring discussions about conservation, nature, sustainability and 'building back better'. Exhibitors and buyers will participate in the Speed Networking sessions - five-minute mini-meetings to help forge new commercial relationships. New for 2021 to help networking is the Smart Event tool, a contactless lead capture app that enables exhibitors to scan delegates' badges to gather contact information and acts as a digital business card. WTM London takes place from November 1-3 2021, at ExCeL, London, and will be followed by WTM Virtual on November 8-9.