World Travel Market London, the most influential travel and tourism event in the world, will contribute approximately £200 million to the London economy in just a week’s time. Held at Excel London (5th– 7th November) over 40,000 travel professionals are set to attend the 44th edition. ITTN will be there so stay tuned for all the updates!
On track to host the most exhibitors the show has ever seen, WTM London has reported a 7% growth in exhibitor numbers this year, with over 4,000 global tourism boards, hoteliers, transport services, technology brands, associations and experiences set to will take to the halls of Excel London for three days of business.
More than 60 conference sessions have been confirmed for this year’s World Travel Market London, bringing together leading experts and ministers, helping WTM cement its reputation as the world’s most influential travel and tourism event.
With regenerative tourism and transformative technologies within the mix of exciting discussion points, WTM London is set be a platform for positive change.
The sessions are split into six Conference Tracks, all carefully curated by a panel of conference advisors, to guide visitors to the topics of most benefit to them, where they can dive into discussions with peers and experts. These are:
- Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion (DEAI)
- Geo-Economics
- Marketing
- Sustainability
- Travel Trends
- Technology
Following a 29% increase in attendance across the conference sessions in 2023, this year the stages have increased in size. To ease navigation, this year’s conference theatres will be named in line with the colour scheme in corresponding regions. The Yellow Theatre will sit within the Africa region, Orange Theatre within Asia and Purple Theatre in Tech.
In addition, different days will be dedicated to specific topics, with sessions gathered into summits. Highlights include:
Tuesday 5 November
The opening day kicks off with the unveiling of the WTM Global Travel Report, curated by WTM and supported by renowned researchers Oxford Economics. on extensive data from more than 185 countries to give valuable insights into consumer behaviour and trends likely to shape the industry.
The Technology Summit follows, with the theme of Frictionless Journeys. Visitors can discover how to implement user cases for new technologies and find out more about the intersection between AI and loyalty schemes.
The DEAISummit, From Commitment to Action, will also take place on the first day, providing a safe platform to showcase the future of diversity, accessibility, equality, inclusion and intersectionality (DEAI) in tourism.
Wednesday 6 November
On the second day of the show, more than 50 of travel’s most influential political figures will gather at the 18th Ministers Summit at World Travel Market, in association with UN Tourism and WTTC. Emerging Technology’s Potential for Good in Tourism is this year’s theme. During this largest annual gathering of ministers, these policymakers will debate the transformative potential of AI and other emerging technologies in shaping the future of travel and hospitality against the ethical implications of their deployment.
This year’s Sustainability Summit, The Rise of Regenerative Tourism – a Paradigm Shift, will explore the core principles of regenerative tourism, highlight successful case studies, and provide actionable strategies for integrating these concepts into tourism practices.
Jenny Southan, Editor, Founder, CEO, GlobeTrender, Jānis Dzenis, PRD, Wayaway, Aisha Shaibu-Lenoir, Founder, Moonlight Experiences, Uwern Jong, Editor-in-Chief, OutThere Magazine
Thursday 7 November
Thursday’s Marketing Summit will pull apart the evolution of travel marketing in the digital age, sessions covering how digital tools are driving changes in marketing techniques and the importance of storytelling throughout the traveller journey. The Marketing track will be followed with the return of the Influencers’ Lunch, offering content creators the chance to connect with peers and exhibitors seeking exciting collaboration
The hotly anticipated Keynote Speech closes this year’s event. The speaker is yet to be announced but with previous guests including documentary maker Louis Theroux and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, it’s set to be an inspiring and thought-provoking session.
Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director, World Travel Market London, said: “We believe that travel has the power to change the world and World Travel Market allows visitors the opportunity to be part of the movement that shapes it.
We are proud to be such an influential force in facilitating and shaping positive discussion in the global travel industry. Every year WTM strives to make the conference programme indispensable. We hope to see attendees benefiting from the topics raised within the conference programme and finding take-aways that can truly change their businesses for the better.
WTM London works together with global thought leaders and world-class researchers to deliver a strong and diverse conference programme. Confirmed speakers and partners include Bloomberg Travel, UN Tourism, Trip.com, WTTC, Expedia and the BBC, with more to be announced soon.”
To view the full programme visit: World Travel Market London – Session Directory – 5th Nov (wtm.com)
WTM London 2024 takes place from 5th – 7th November at ExCeL London. For more information visit: https://www.wtm.com/london/en-gb.html
WTM attracts over 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, distinguished speakers, and representatives from global tourism boards, to explore industry developments.
