World Travel Market London 2024 Closes with 11 Percent Increase in Qualified Buyers - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Returning to Excel London from November 5 to 7 2024, the 44th edition hosted 5,049 buyers, a substantial increase of 11 per cent, and almost 500 extra buyers, on the 4,560 buyers welcomed to the 2023 show.

Bigger and better than ever, overall attendance at the event increased by six per cent to 46,316 individuals, with many travel professionals attending for between two and three days. To accommodate the additional visitors, the show increased in scale by almost eight per cent, adopting new halls within Excel London’s Level-0, where visitors could enjoy large new conference stages and hospitality areas.

Aligned to the event expansion, a record number of exhibitors from the private sector were in attendance, with exhibitor participation growing to 4,047, another rise of eight per cent compared to last year.

Continuing to deliver measurable value for attendees, confirmed business meetings also rose by a phenomenal 17 per cent in 2024, with 34,082 pre- scheduled meetings facilitated, in contrast to the 29,075 that took place last year.

Hunger for change

Leading conversations that will shape the travel and tourism industry throughout 2025, WTM London focussed on ‘Travelpower’ and how attendees, including tourism boards, hoteliers, transport services, technology brands, associations and experiences, can use their platforms for positive change. Reflecting this, the show’s exhilarating conference programme saw more than 200 world-class speakers deliver over 70 insightful sessions built around the topics of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion (DEAI), Geo-Economics, Marketing, Sustainability, Travel Trends, and Technology.

Indicating the strength of the sector, and the desire to be at the forefront of creating positive change, over 80 new exhibitors made their inaugural appearances at WTM London 2024. These included KOS Island, Nimax Theatres, Latvia Travel, Riyadh Air, Grand Prix Grand Tours, Barclaycard Payments, and Regnum Hotels.

Leading the way

On the agenda at the Ministers’ Summit, which brought together more than 50 of travel’s most influential political figures, was artificial intelligence (AI). Marking its 18th year, and run in association with UN Tourism and World Travel and Tourism Council, leaders debated the potential of emerging technologies to facilitate good in tourism. Attendees agreed AI can bring positive change, but that the tourism industry’s voice should be heard as governments begin putting guidelines and guardrails in place.

The highly anticipated WTM Global Travel Report 2024 was also unveiled on day one of the show. The annual report, in conjunction with Tourism Economics, draws on extensive data from more than 185 countries to provide a comprehensive global outlook on the tourism sector. It revealed that international tourism arrivals are expected to hit a record 1.5 billion in 2024, surpassing 2019 values. By 2030, international visitors staying at least one night in their destination are projected to have grown by over 30 per cent to two billion.

Better together

Bringing it all together, Comedian and TV star, Katherine Ryan, closed the show with a fascinating keynote on how leaders in the travel industry can foster a culture of positivity, inclusivity and gratitude to drive transformative change.

Juliette Losardo, WTM London Exhibition Director, said: “What an incredible three days it’s been coming together as one global tourism community. In an event packed full of knowledge, ideas, camaraderie and enthusiasm, we’ve planted the seeds for an exciting year ahead, one filled with positive change.

“From meetings to attendance to floor space, our increased presence in every metric shows not only the extent to which the tourism sector is thriving, but also the appetite there is out there to find solutions to our challenges, embrace our opportunities and work together to ensure the travel industry uses its platform and potential as a beacon for good.”

Image Credit: © WTM