Regenerative tourism, accessibility and AI: The hot topics as the travel industry gathers at WTM
This 12 months’s occasion would be the largest so far with over 80 new exhibitors.
One of many world’s most influential journey and tourism markets has kicked off in London right now.
The World Journey Market sees tons of of business leaders, tourism boards, hoteliers, transport firms and members of the general public collect from throughout the globe.
This 12 months’s occasion would be the largest so far, with an anticipated seven per cent progress and over 80 new exhibitors at ExCeL London, reflecting the thriving worldwide tourism sector.
Listed below are the important thing themes and subjects of this 12 months’s summit because the journey business continues to develop post-pandemic and turns into more and more acutely aware of its affect on the atmosphere.
Regenerative tourism and journey as a pressure for good
New to WTM this 12 months is a highlight on regenerative tourism. The subject would be the focus of discussions on the Sustainability Summit on 6 November.
Overseen by the present’s sustainability advisor Tina O’Dwyer, a number one knowledgeable in sustainable tourism and driving impactful campaigns, the three-hour summit will give attention to utilizing journey as a pressure for good.
Discussions will delve into how journey may be harnessed to help resilient communities, flourishing economies and thriving ecosystems.
“The entire programme invitations each exhibitors and the media to boldly rethink how we strategy sustainability, re-imagine its objective and foster prosperity for all,” says WTM’s Exhibition Director Juliette Losardo.
Variety, fairness and accessibility
WTM is increasing its protection on variety, fairness, accessibility, inclusion and intersectionality (DEAI) this 12 months.
A devoted DEAI Summit is going down from 1:15pm to five:00pm, with devoted networking drinks from 5:00-6:00pm, on 5 November within the Purple Theatre.
The theme is ‘from dedication to motion’, and the periods will consider steps that journey and tourism stakeholders can take to ship on guarantees to create a completely inclusive business for journey companies, their groups and their prospects.
Attendees will hear from a spread of necessary audio system on subjects together with implementing mentorship and allyship programmes, intercultural sensitivity in advertising and marketing and communications, making nature-based and cultural customer experiences accessible to all and connecting travellers with Indigenous communities respectfully and equitably.
All through the occasion, there will likely be gender-neutral bathrooms, the choice so as to add pronouns to official occasion badges and multi-faith rooms for prayer.
How Greece is investing in sustainable tourism
Locations from world wide have stands on the convention to advertise their international locations or areas.
Greek Nationwide Tourism Organisation (GNTO), a premier companion of the present, will show how it’s balancing the advantages of tourism with the wants of native economies and communities whereas safeguarding the pure and cultural atmosphere.
The nation has launched insurance policies to diversify choices, mitigate seasonality, improve training and foster cooperation with native communities.
Instruments have been developed for complete and systematic information assortment and data movement in tourism.
‘Frictionless’ journey and AI expertise
This 12 months’s Know-how Observe periods will give attention to how sellers and suppliers of journey can tackle the continued complications travellers face once they search, store, guide and pay for his or her journey.
This may embrace discussions concerning the significance of the shopper’s digital expertise and the longer term intersection between AI and loyalty schemes.
“We’ve determined to deal with head-on one in all my business bug-bears: regardless of all this tech, why do sellers and suppliers make it so tough for the traveller to seek out what they need, to purchase our merchandise and to expertise what we provide,” says WTM’s expertise advisor Timothy O’Neil-Dunne.
“I will likely be addressing the ‘apocalyptic inefficiency’, as I see it, throughout the business and discover the tech we have to deal with this.”
