What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note
Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
WTM Africa growth bodes well for 2020's travel, tourism trade markets
World Travel Market Africa (WTMA), continues to grow, having welcomed 6,236 industry professionals from 100 countries in 2019. Attendance and participation numbers were up, across the board, with the show up by 15% more visitors, attracting travel trade professionals from Mauritius, Ukraine, Belarus, Benin and San Marino for the first time, with the overall number of countries represented up by 42%.
Megan Oberholzer, portfolio director: travel, tourism and sports portfolio for Reed Exhibitions South Africa says that WTM Africa 2019 welcomed 4,362 travel trade visitors and 738 exhibiting companies. "Our 688 buyers’ club members and 226 hosted buyers made excellent use of the opportunity to pre-schedule appointments and our two days of speed networking were once again successful.
"The desire to bring the world to Africa with leading travel and tourism opportunities is being met by an ever-expanding offering from the continental industry – and we’re excited to help facilitate this growth," says Oberholzer.
WTMA 2019 saw growth in deals across travel and tourism categories, but the most successful sectors included:
• Adventure travel;
• Activity holidays;
• Business travel;
• Safari holidays;
• Cultural and heritage tourism;
• Meetings and conferences; and
• Over-50’s tourism and city breaks.
The WTM Africa programme, which includes Travel Forward with E-Tourism Africa Seminar (eTAS); African Tourism Investment Summit in partnership with Africa Business Group; The Sports & Events Tourism Exchange (SETE); the Business Case for Responsible Tourism Conference; Women in Travel and the Business Events Conference powered by IBTM Africa, is set to expand further at WTM Africa 2020.
WTM Africa 2020 will take from 6-8 April 2020 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with the City of Cape Town as host city partner.
Early bird bookings close on 31 July 2019. Details available at africa.wtm.com
