∙ 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 (6-8th 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 26th, 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.”
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