WTM London 2024: conference programme announced

# tags: Events , London , Exhibitions , Tourism , Travel , Conferences

More than 60 conference sessions have been confirmed for this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) London, that will take place from 5th to 7th November, at ExCeL London.

The conference programme announced will bring together leading experts and ministers. With regenerative tourism and transformative technologies within the mix of exciting discussion points, WTM London is set be a platform for positive change.

The sessions are split into six Conference Tracks, all carefully curated by a panel of conference advisors, to guide visitors to the topics of most benefit to them, where they can dive into discussions with peers and experts: Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion (DEAI); Geo-Economics; Marketing; Sustainability; Travel Trends; and Technology.

Following a 29% increase in attendance across the conference sessions in 2023, this year the stages have increased in size. To ease navigation, this year’s conference theatres will be named in line with the colour scheme in corresponding regions. The Yellow Theatre will sit within the Africa region, Orange Theatre within Asia and Purple Theatre in Tech.

In addition, different days will be dedicated to specific topics, with sessions gathered into summits. Highlights include the opening day kicks off with the unveiling of the WTM Global Travel Report, curated by WTM and supported by renowned researchers Oxford Economics. This draws on extensive data from more than 185 countries to give valuable insights into consumer behaviour and trends likely to shape the industry.

The Technology Summit follows, with the theme of Frictionless Journeys. Visitors can discover how to implement user cases for new technologies and find out more about the intersection between AI and loyalty schemes.

The DEAI Summit, From Commitment to Action, will also take place on the first day, providing a safe platform to showcase the future of diversity, accessibility, equality, inclusion and intersectionality (DEAI) in tourism.

On the second day of the show, more than 50 of travel’s most influential political figures will gather at the 18th Ministers Summit at WTM, in association with UN Tourism and WTTC. Emerging Technology’s Potential for Good in Tourism is this year’s theme. During this gathering, these policymakers will debate the transformative potential of AI and other emerging technologies in shaping the future of travel and hospitality against the ethical implications of their deployment.

This year’s Sustainability Summit, The Rise of Regenerative Tourism – a Paradigm Shift, will explore the core principles of regenerative tourism, highlight successful case studies, and provide actionable strategies for integrating these concepts into tourism practices.

Thursday’s Marketing Summit will pull apart the evolution of travel marketing in the digital age, sessions covering how digital tools are driving changes in marketing techniques and the importance of storytelling throughout the traveller journey. The Marketing track will be followed with the return of the Influencers’ Lunch, offering content creators the chance to connect with peers and exhibitors seeking exciting collaboration.

The hotly anticipated Keynote Speech closes this year’s event. The speaker is yet to be announced but with previous guests including documentary maker Louis Theroux and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, it’s set to be an inspiring and thought-provoking session.

“We believe that travel has the power to change the world”

Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director, World Travel Market London, said: “We believe that travel has the power to change the world and World Travel Market allows visitors the opportunity to be part of the movement that shapes it. We are proud to be such an influential force in facilitating and shaping positive discussion in the global travel industry. Every year WTM strives to make the conference programme indispensable. We hope to see attendees benefiting from the topics raised within the conference programme and finding take-aways that can truly change their businesses for the better.”

“WTM London works together with global thought leaders and world-class researchers to deliver a strong and diverse conference programme. Confirmed speakers and partners include Bloomberg Travel, UN Tourism, Trip.com, WTTC, Expedia and the BBC, with more to be announced soon.”