World Travel Market 2015
World Travel Market London 2015, now in its 36th year, the leading global 4-day event for the travel industry professionals, attended by 51, 500 senior travel industry professionals and government ministers, ended on a high, with speed networking for buyers and separate session for the world’s top 50 travel bloggers who reach 10.6million audience. WTM in 2014 generated around £2.5 billion for travel industry contracts.
Portuguese airline TAP marks its 70th Anniversary, while NH hotel group, the business accommodation specialist is expanding in Latin America following recent acquisition of the 20-chain hotels Royal. Gambian Tourism board is promoting the first Gambia international Bird Festival organised by the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management. English Heritage highlighted refurbishments including Eltham Palace, Walmer Castle, Dover Castle’s First World War story and Tintagel Castle explores the castle’s role of Cornish history. Next year, a museum at Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire will tell the site’s 900-year story and the visitors at the site of the Battle of Hastings will be able to access the roof to view the landscape where the famous battle was fought. The Shakespeare’s Globe highlights the events marking 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.
India Tourism which sponsored the prestigious WTM Buyers’ Club, is expected to promote tourism to India which has welcomed 3.85 million tourists in the first six months in 2015 up by 3.4 per cent compared to same period in 2014. India’s most popular destinations including Agra, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and Kashmir are looking attract more tourists. The UK is the second largest source market for tourists with 810,000 people visiting in 2014.
Facebook’s Lee McCabe, head of travel, Education and consumer strategy services for the social network drew huge crowds when he said: “The smartphone is the remote control of our lives. We use it far more and more for travel to plan, book, Validate decisions and talk to friends”. He shared some Facebook developments on its Messenger service for Business as well as its M concierge service and Virtual reality driven by apps.
He also said “How people communicate is changing, as texting is decreasing and people are using images more and more as a form of communication and the latest is video and looking forward to virtual reality and augmented reality.”
Social connection –type apps including Zuwoba in China which translates to “rent me” and PlanDo in Hong Kong.
WTM is owned by the World’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions.