REPORT – WTM2005: World Travel Market experienced its greatest year ever with a 5% overall…
REPORT – WTM2005: World Travel Market experienced its greatest year ever with a 5% overall increase in attendance to almost 49,000, more than 4% expansion in exhibiting space and a notable rise in both Meridian Club and trade visitors from overseas, compared to last year’s event.
Un-audited figures reveal that out of the 13,193 Meridian Club visitors (plus 2%) a total of 5,270 buyers had travelled to the ExCeL London from across the world – an 8% increase in international visitors.
The rise in the number of overseas trade visitors was even higher with an 11% rise.
Significantly, the number of agents and other trade visitors on the last day of World Travel Market also rose by 4% to nearly 3,000 and reflected the popularity of the ambitious Wise Up! educational programme for travel agents in which five of the largest multiple retailers participated (Going Places, CTTG – Co-op Travel, Thomas Cook, First Choice, Thompson)
The number of Exhibiting Partner personnel also went up sharply by 17%. In total, there were 202 representative countries and regions exhibiting at the global business to business event.
More than a 100 Government Tourism Ministers, Ambassadors and High Commissioners also attended.
Media attendance grew by 7% to 2,909.
Fiona Jeffery, Group Exhibition Director said she was delighted at the results. “This has been a phenomenal year for World Travel Market and, despite the many traumas and problems that the industry has faced over this past year, reflects the nearly 6% predicted growth for 2005 and, encouragingly, a continued confidence next year.”
“Although these statistics have yet to be audited, the figures reflect a massive targeted marketing and PR drive in 16 languages, a gradual move towards online pre-registration and a spectacularly successful tailored campaign to communicate more directly to Exhibiting Partners as well as Main Stand Holders.”
“The only figure that declined was the number of students, down 1% to 1,580, which was extremely tightly controlled this year”, said Jeffery.
The event’s Premier Partner this year was Moscow and highlighted the rapidly growing importance of tourism to the city. Last year there were three million foreign visitors and the first half of this year showed a seven per cent increase.
By 2010, Moscow`s hotels and hostels will be capable of accommodating up to 200,000 at the same time rising to 350,000 by 2020.
Fresh Initiatives
The four-day event offered a variety of new features and attractions, including a Ministers Programme; a new dedicated ‘show within a show’ Travel Technology area; a Personal Event Planner (PEP) to connect visitors to appropriate exhibitors; a focus on airlines and hotels and a stunning opening ceremony culminating in the global premiere of some of the music from the musical adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
Added Jeffery: “We had our most extensive event-related programme ever with more than 70 stage events, seminars and conferences taking place over the four days with the majority of them over subscribed. All the topics were the burning issues of greatest importance to the industry and catered for every level of management and sector. This included, for example, technology, responsible tourism, hotels, aviation, gay and lesbian tourism, city and cultural tourism, youth tourism and tourism for the disabled.”
“In addition, we believe it is important to provide the global industry with a greater level of detailed information and data on international trends and developments. This included the publication of World Travel Market’s UK & European Report and our partnerships with the research organisation IPK; Vegas, the youth division of Synovate; Out Now Consulting, a Brussels-based marketing agency specialising in developing marketing strategies and analysis of the lesbian and gay market and Diva and Gay Times magazines.”
“Together with our partners we have been able to offer a greater insight and a better understanding of the complexities of the industry today and to signal possible business opportunities.”
Ministers Programme
More than 60 government ministers attended World Travel Market this year and participated in the Ministers Programme. This included an opening day reception at the House of Lords, hosted by Baroness Anelay of St. Johns DBE, Chairman of World Travel Market’s Advisory Council, at which Mr. James Purnell MP, the UK tourism minister was the guest speaker.
Travel Technology
The introduction of a new Travel Technology area, coinciding with a serious upturn in the IT industry, proved a sell-out with more than 30 large, medium and smaller specialist companies exhibiting.
This included: CodeGen.IT, Final Quadrant and Intracom, Expedia, Galileo, Comtec, Teletext, Cendant, Tourplan, Websource, Open Destinations, Ramesys, eQuality Travel Solutions, Softwire, Galaxy, Cyberembryonic, GHRS S.R.L., GlobeTrack, Nota Bena Co., TextBay, Travelink and Applied Card Technologies.
Just a Drop and Dot Travel
On World Travel Market’s opening day, Tralliance CEO Ron Andruff unveiled the company’s bold initiative to donate $1 for every.travel name on the industry’s high level domain to Just a Drop – the water-aid industry started by Fiona Jeffery and the organisers of World Travel Market eight years ago.
He also challenged all those holding names to match the company’s contribution.
The initiative has the potential to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in the coming years and is the largest funding pledge for the charity in its history.
Founded in 1997, Just a Drop is the only global travel and tourism industry charity to give children everywhere the right to life by providing clean water to thousands of children and their families. The charity raises money to build wells, hand pumps and health and sanitation programmes.
Commented Jeffery, chairman of the Board of Trustees: “Thanks to the help of many travel companies, organisations and individuals within the industry, Just a Drop’s work has already made a big difference to the lives of thousands of children and families worldwide.”
“But our work is only just beginning and with the generous support of .travel and Tralliance Corporation we will be able to do so much more. We cannot thank them enough for their outstanding generosity and support.”
“There are currently thousands and thousands of .travel registrants”, said Ron Andruff. “With more travel industry organisations registering each day and the potential for each registrant to match our donation, we are confident that we will be able to make significant contributions to this important cause.”
Dot travel, which already has the backing of leading industry organizations such as the WTO, WTTC and PATA will be formally launched early in 2005.
Other events and activities at World Travel Market were also linked to Just a Drop. Trek Petra, a walk in aid of the charity along ancient Bedouin trails to the lost City of Petra was launched on the World Stage, in association with the Jordan Tourism Board and Discover Adventure. The walk, open to 50 industry professionals, is in April 2006.
A further
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
