World Travel Market London, the leading global event for the travel industry, has opened registration to the new-look three-day WTM London 2016.
WTM London 2016, which takes place between Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 November, is poised to be the most successful yet. The new-look three-day format has been universally well received from all participant groups. Delegates will be able to conduct even more business than last year’s record 2.5 billion and save on the ancillary cost with WTM London being one day shorter. Opening hours have been extended from 10am to 7pm on all three days of the event, to increase the business opportunities available.
The WTM Inspire Theatre, a new 300-seater amphitheatre, will be added to the exhibition floor in the North Hall of ExCel, while the WTM International Press Centre has been moved on to the exhibition floor for the first time (in the South Hall). More than 80 seminars will take place throughout the three days covering all the key sectors including aviation, hotels, sports tourism, responsible tourism, blogging, social media and travel technology.
Monday 7 November will remain an exhibitor invite-only day, allowing exhibitors to conduct business meetings with key contacts. The event will kick off with the WTM Speed Networking in the WTM Global Stage at 9am – before the exhibition floor opens at 10am. A taste of ILTM at WTM returns for the fifth year across the Monday and Tuesday.
Tuesday 8 November is the new day for World Responsible Tourism Day, keeping sustainability at the heart of the event.
Wednesday 9 November is the new day for the UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit, which is this year celebrating its tenth edition. WTM London 2016 will conclude with the WTM Festivals, which will see a number of exhibitors hosting paries showcasing their culture, music and cuisine.
WTM London 2015 saw almost 50,000 participants, including 9,100 buyers conducting business worth more than 2.5 billion with almost 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions.
From Ecuador to South Korea, WTM London Attracts New Exhibitors
The world’s largest hotels search sites, an aircraft charter specialist and the fourth largest city in Ecuador are among the new exhibitors already signed up for World Travel Market London 2016.
The highest profile first-time exhibitor is Trivago, a price comparison site focused on hotels which is part of Expedia Inc. It will be present in the Global Village region, where it will be joined by other first-time exhibitors including Autoclick Rent a Car, a car hire business based in Spain.
Visitors to the Travel Technology region will have the chance to do deals with a range of WTM London debutants, including some businesses based in Asia such as Rish lyagi, a South Korean marketing agency with branches in Shanghai and Tokyo.
Making a shorter journey is German hotels software business Booklogic.
Airlines are a vital part of the global travel industry and WTM London continues to attract new carriers to the event. Altas Global, a Turkish airline operating domestic and international flights into Istanbul from many European, Middle Eastern and Asian destinations, is another first time exhibitor.
Coach travel is also an important player in the industry, and DJ Coaches from Kent is taking a stand in the UK and Ireland region for the first time. Finally, the Americas region will welcome for the first time representatives from the city of Machala in southern Ecuador.
