Athul LalAn incredible number of travel professionals walked through the doors at World Travel Market last week, with over 35,800 people participating – exceeding expected attendance – and presenting over double the attendance than that of 2021.
One of the key attendee types at WTM London is global travel buyers – individuals with direct purchasing responsibility for travel product. This year, buyer numbers were up 25 per cent compared with 2021. This significant increase is a direct result of ongoing efforts by World Travel Market to map and engage the global buyer audience – reflective of a post pandemic world – homing in on the detail that ensures they receive a flawless event experience.
Specific elements laid on for travel buyers included 1-2-1 speed networking, access to a luxury Buyers Club lounge, fast track entry, a concierge meeting service, as well as an integrated diary function within the official WTM App – all ensuring their time at the event was well spent.
In addition to that, WTM London saw ministerial representation from 55 nations across the world – up 15 per cent on 2021, 165 per cent increase in exhibiting personnel versus 2021, and over 1500 media in attendance – representing over 70 per cent increase on 2021.
2022 attendance at WTM London showcases a sector in recovery and demonstrates an appetite to do business and meet face-to-face.
Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director, WTM London, said: “Attendance at this year’s World Travel Market was fantastic! WTM London is a microcosm of the travel sector – where participation mirrors industry sentiment – it’s encouraging to see this level of engagement as tourism reaches towards full recovery – and of course demonstrates the importance of face-to-face events.
“We doubled down on creating an event which prioritised buyers, business deals and trading, and initial results seem to show that we met that goal – which we’re thrilled about.’’
“That said, we don’t rest for long – and have no room for complacency. We’ve already started work and planning to ensure 2023 will be better than ever!”
