By Updesh Kapur /Doha
Every November, London takes centre stage for an industry that continues to excite and pamper hundreds of millions of people looking for a journey into dreamland.
The British capital once again comes under the spotlight as travel professionals from around the world descend on London for four days of serious business, important networking and, a bit of fun.
World Travel Market, one of the biggest travel shows in the world, unites buyers and sellers from every conceivable sector of the industry – and from all parts of the globe. WTM, as it is commonly known, is a travel industry institution.
From airlines, hotels, cruise lines and car rental companies to travel technology providers, tour operators, destination management companies and the MICE – meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions – market, all will be out in force for the annual get-together.
The ExCel exhibition and conference centre in east London’s Docklands will become a colourful spectacle from next Monday as visitors, many wearing national dress, make their way by train, taxi and executive cars for a show that is firmly rooted in the travel industry’s annual calendar.
State and national tourism boards will take pride of place representing regions and countries with exquisite exhibition stands showcasing the best attributes of their homeland.
Traditional music and dance performances, delightful costumes and appearances by celebrities promoting destinations are all part of WTM culture. Colour, glamour and star spotting go hand in hand at WTM.
From Thailand, India, Singapore, Australia, Dubai and Japan to Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Iceland, Canada, the US and not forgetting home territory Britain, London opens up to the world for almost a week.
Senior executives from domestic, regional and global hotel chains will be on hand to talk about their latest urban and resort properties, and indeed provide insight into new sub brands that many have announced since last year’s WTM to join their ever-growing international portfolios.
And of course there are the obligatory press conferences to unveil new initiatives and products and latest reports on travel trends. Seminars and mini-conferences will appeal to delegates keen on hearing from thought leaders, industry experts and senior travel executives on issues affecting the world of travel from both a suppliers’ and consumers’ perspective.
This year is no different. For sure, amid the fervour of WTM’s high-profile status, one story will dominate news coming out of the event. For the media attending, there will be particular interest in the pavilions housing the African contingent.
The deadly Ebola crisis that has hit West Africa, badly hitting economies of several nations with the threat of becoming a global epidemic, will be high on the agenda of seminars and during interviews with journalists quizzing executives for fresh angles on this rapidly developing story.
Nearly 5,000 people have died from the Ebola outbreak which has mainly affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Not exactly travel hotspots, but with airlines expanding operations into these countries before the crisis hit and air travel all about connecting people between different parts of the world, the big talking point will be how the global travel industry will be affected with what is being reported as a potential epidemic.
With Ebola cases already in Europe and the US, what is the impact on both the African and global travel industry? Some nations have imposed a visa ban on people travel from parts of Africa.
“The impact of the disease has potentially far-reaching consequences for West Africa, Africa and the world,” said South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe this week after pledging to donate $1mn to Guinea to help the country fight Ebola.
“It is a global issue which requires the global community to work together and bring an end to the disease.” Despite the crisis, it will be business as usual at WTM, now in its 35th year.
Evenings will be filled with numerous parties across London. From the exclusive dinners with captains of industry to events thrown by travel suppliers at hotels, restaurants and unique venues, party hopping mania hits the city after WTM’s day-time activities.
Tourism ministers will fly into London this weekend ahead of their meetings with travel professionals at WTM, the world’s second largest annual travel fair after ITB Berlin in the German capital.
With every destination having its own unique selling point appealing to different market segments in all countries, there will be an element of competition to secure deals and those important marketing dollars to lure a greater number of visitors next year and beyond.
Last year, WTM generated more than $3.7bn worth of contracts. These included agreements between tourist boards and tour operators to feature destinations in new holiday packages.
More than 50,000 visitors from 180 countries together with 5,000 exhibitors are expected at WTM next week. Of these, 3,000 will be media from travel trade magazines, national newspapers, broadcasters, online portals and blogging sites.
For the travelling media, tour operators and travel agents, getting to London will not be a problem.
At a time when the travel industry traditionally enters a lean seasonal period, airlines and hotels will be more than willing to showcase the best of their products by flying and accommodating many influential WTM visitors. All part of the marketing efforts to showcase and, in some cases, introduce, their best – be they premium aircraft cabins or luxury hotel suites.
There’s nothing known as a “free lunch” in the travel industry, but the hospitality offered is a “thank you” acknowledgement by the industry to travel partners who sell their products.
Hotels across London will be hosting many travel agents, tour operators and destination management companies – and of course the media – giving them a chance to sample and stay in new properties or renovated hotels recognising loyalty for providing ongoing business.
From Qatar, a large delegation of over two dozen companies will be travelling to London with the Qatar Tourism Authority taking the lead with its own pavilion.
Among the exhibitors are Marriott Marquis City Centre Doha Hotel, recently rebranded to bring all three of its properties – Courtyard by Marriott, Renaissance Doha and Marriott Executive Apartments – under a single brand entity.
Qatar-owned Al Rayyan Hospitality will be talking about its soon-to-open new ultra luxury Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, an idyllic 32-acre holiday retreat featuring Maldives-style villas perched above the water in tranquil surroundings.
Al Rayyan is also developing two other properties, the Hilton Salwa Beach Resort and Villas and Al Messila Resort & VIP Spa in Qatar which it will promote at WTM for the first time.
A delegation from Katara Hospitality, which owns, develops and manages hotels around the world, will be on hand to share news about its portfolio that stretches from the under refurbishment Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Centre, the Royal Savoy Lausanne, The Peninsula Paris, the renowned Raffles Singapore and the Chiva-Som luxury health resort in Thailand.
Doha-based Regency Holidays will be looking to strike new packages with travel suppliers for the year ahead for both its inbound business into Qatar and selling outbound to the world. So a global platform of World Travel Market is seen as a perfect base to meet industry peers under one roof.
For the first time, WTM features an exhibitor selling tours to the isolated and secretive state of North Korea. Whether you want to run in the Pyongyang Marathon in the North Korean capital next April, visit ancient temples or ski in the country’s uncrowded mountain slopes, tour operator Experience North Korea is open for business.
The travel company hopes to promote its unique pioneering offering and, at the same time, challenge perceptions about North Korea during discussions for new business. Fewer than 5,000 foreigners enter North Korea each year.
“We always joke and say that going to North Korea is like going to another planet. So, effectively, it’s the cheapest trip to outer space you can buy,” says Shanghai-based Nathalie Armengol, who runs the tour operating company which begins and ends all trips in the Chinese capital Beijing.
A forum featuring the world’s leading luxury travel and tourism brands and global luxury travel buyers will provide a key networking opportunity to promote latest products.
A high-profile panel of luxury travel specialists will also share new research on affluent travellers and debate how the theory and practice of selling luxury travel to new customers is changing.
And women in travel will be the focus of an interesting seminar that is likely to generate some interesting write-ups into the relationship between female travellers and the travel sector.
It will look at successful women travel entrepreneurs and address how the travel industry can play a key role in enhancing the lives of women around the world.
A bit of retail therapy in the duty free industry will be the subject of a session on a sector that is often overlooked yet is a vital element of the burgeoning global travel industry.
Worth over $60bn in worldwide sales every year, the duty free and travel retail industry helps airports fund vital enhancements to their infrastructure, and remains for many travellers an integral part of the travel experience.
From the abolition of intra-EU duty free in 1999 through to the recent application of the so-called ‘one-bag rule’, the market is subject to sudden, imposed change that affects its ability to support the wider travel industry.
The session will also look at the issues it currently faces and why they matter to the entire travel chain.
So, next time you travel, spare a thought about the process behind the scenes in putting together your flight, accommodation and holiday package, and the challenges the world’s biggest industry both faces and continues to face.
lUpdesh Kapur is a PR & communications professional, columnist, aviation, hospitality and travel analyst, social and entertainment writer. He can be followed on twitter @updeshkapur
Promotional staff at Thai Airways International welcoming WTM visitors at last year’s show.
