P O S T- E V E N T R E P O R T
RELIVING
WTM AFRICA: A week of glory As one of the most anticipated events on the travel industry’s calendar, WTM Africa promised travel industry players the opportunity to meet face to face again for the first time in two years. Expectations naturally ran high – and the show delivered. Meetings reveals the highlights.
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TM Africa 2022 lived up to its reputation as one of the industry’s most powerful tools for lead generation and connection, with attendance figures exceeding pre-pandemic levels. This year, the show welcomed more than 6 000 visitors with more than 7 000 pre-scheduled appointments – an increase of 7% on 2019’s figures. Running between 11 and 13 April 2022 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), significantly, more than 87% of buyers were first-time attendees. What’s more, many buyers hailed from established source markets, with representation from new markets like
Thailand, Malaysia and Japan – all drawn, no doubt, by the intelligence and insights shared by the more than 187 speakers appearing in over 63 content sessions. While these numbers are impressive, the diverse nature of the information shared was equally remarkable: in tune with current industry trends, WTM Africa shed a spotlight on current pressing topics like inclusivity, investment and the digitalisation of the industry. Content sessions formed part of a comprehensive and enlightening conference programme, where expert speakers discussed everything from the state of Africa’s travel and tourism industry to challenges currently
facing players, new types of tourism emerging and key destinations going forward. The role of culture and community also came under the spotlight, along with the power of rural tourism and plans for the industry’s recovery. Informative podcasts augmented these sessions, each drilling down into a specific facet of the industry – from sustainability to culinary tourism and unlocking the potential of key source markets. Attendees were also able to sharpen their skills by taking part in several masterclasses hosted during the event. From polishing up your website to leveraging the power of social media and email marketing – and even honing a deeper understanding of important markets such as LGBTQ+ travellers – these specialist-hosted sessions were tailored with an eye to imparting practicable advice.
A TRENDS REPORT LIKE NO OTHER The pandemic not only changed how we travel but also why we travel. It is imperative that travel industry players know about some of the major things in the travel and tourism world so that they can strategise and get ready for a new dawn. That is why the team at Africa Travel Week decided to compile a cutting-edge trends report offering the latest perceptions, trends and analyses in the tourism industry 24/7. From greenwashing to culinary tourism, diversity, accessibility and impact tourism, the trend report took a deep dive into what’s shaping the tourism industry of the future. According to tourism and hospitality consultant Gillian Saunders, the strong and emerging trends we are seeing for the recovery phase all have one thing in common – they make travel and tourism a better industry. “The drive for sustainability, wellness and full community engagement will see a new generation tourism industry, or Tourism 4IR, for a global, integrated, diverse and equitable world in which we truly conserve our environment.”
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE While WTM’s organisers strived to ensure that the event represented many different interests and
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