WTM London unveils three new areas on the exhibition floor
World Travel Market London 2023 will have three new areas on the exhibition floor this year – Accommodation & Wholesalers, Experiences and Transportation.
The new areas will replace the International Hub and predominantly showcase private-sector and non-destination exhibitors.
The Accommodation & Wholesalers, Experiences and Transportation areas have been launched following extensive research carried out by WTM earlier this year.
It identified a trend towards travel purchasing decisions based upon experiences, as opposed to purely destination.
WTM’s research highlighted the changing habits of the traveller, with Millennials and Gen Z increasingly making travel choices based on experience or bucket lists, as opposed to just the location they want to visit.
Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director at WTM, said: “While Gen X might go to Spain, New York or Paris, the newer generations want a wellness retreat, go white-water rafting, or learn to cook in a local community.
“This year we’ve seen an increase in the number of non-destination exhibitors signing up to WTM London”.
“The new Accommodation & Wholesalers, Transportation & Experience areas of the show tap into this cultural shift, offering a place where buyers can come and see what is new and exciting on offer.”
In the Accommodation & Wholesalers area, visitors will find dozens of suppliers, including: Hilton, Intrepid Travel, European Tour Operators Association and Miki Travel.
Visitors to the Experiences area can find exhibitors such as: Go City (previously known as Leisure Pass Group) and Montparnasse 56, operator of the Montparnasse Tower Panoramic Observation Deck.
Sporting events providers are also represented in the Experiences area.
Also in the Experience area, City Sightseeing, the ‘hop-on hop-off’ tours; Big Bus Tours and experience company City Cruises Ltd are featured.
In the Transportation area, visitors can meet reps from companies including car-hire operators and transport providers, such as:Rail Europe; car-rental giant Enterprise Rent-A-Car; German car rental supplier Wheego Mobility; and Global Passenger Network.
Also, in the Transportation area will be representatives from the river-cruise sector, including 14-ship operator Amadeus River Cruises, Dutch Cruise Line BV – which operates a fleet of nine river ships – and United Rivers AG, provider of tailor-made white label river-cruise operations.
The WTM programme includes a session by Lonely Planet VP Tom Hall, entitled Captivating Experience-Seekers: Adopting the Next Generation Mindset, on the Innovate Stage on Tuesday 7 November.
On Wednesday, Vaishali Patel, Founder, Vaishali Ltd; Jo Fennell, Head of Sales for Northern Europe, GetYourGuide, and Nishank Gopalkrishnan, Chief Business Officer, TUI Musement, will take part in a discussion entitled Curating Unique Customer Experiences Anywhere and Everywhere.
Learn more about : WTM – World Travel Market ( Asia Pecific )
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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