An innovative WTM AFRICA 2017 promises to be Extraordinary !
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The leading travel trade show in Southern Africa , WTM Africa 2017 promises to bring together travel trade , industry stakeholders , international media and important buyers with innovative new systems and events .
“ Over the past three years WTM Africa has seen visitor numbers grow , with a 23 % increase in 2016 , resulting in a 19 % increase in travel professionals overall ,” says Chardonnay Marchesi , General Manager of Africa Travel Week . “ This growth alone has pushed us as a team to think on how we would innovate for WTM Africa 2017 !”
Talking on innovation , official organisers of WTM Africa Reed Exhibitions , has taken trade , media and buyer feedback to enhance WTM Africa 2017 to present an even better exhibition than in previous years .
“ We ’ re delighted to be hosting WTM Africa 2017 in April - a great month to visit Cape Town , where everybody wants to be naturally - as well as the ideal time to secure bookings ahead of the peak periods we see across the continent for travel ,” furthers Marchesi .
In the lead up to WTM Africa 2017 , the Reed Exhibitions team has been hard at work presenting buyer insights back to the local industry . “ Our specialised focus on the African continent will bring the diversity and opportunity for the travel sector to the fore in 2017 , with over 600 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees . In 2015 , we estimated that a significant US $ 333-million worth of business was conducted . While we are still calculating our figure for 2016 , our in-depth research tells us that although a great deal of business is written on site , it doubles after 6 months and remains on this level for future projection .”
2017 will see an increased number of international and local buyers in attendance at WTM Africa says Marchesi . “ We have tightened up our qualification criteria for buyers to ensure that we have the right people with purchasing authority at WTM Africa 2017 . We are pushing for significant growth in buyers in attendance , with a 49 % split from Europe and 11 % from the USA , key target markets for South Africa ’ s tourism sector . Emerging markets will also be represented at WTM Africa 2017 .”
In addition , WTM Africa ’ s ability to adapt to the fast pace of the travel sector and trade ’ s demand of an exhibition mean that new buyers are constantly being targeted , new sectors are constantly being added , and repeat buyers with buying power are being catered to simultaneously .
What this means is that WTM Africa 2017 will focus heavily on creating an ideal environment in which business deals can be brokered . For this reason , the following innovations have already been made ahead of 2017 :
A host of international speakers from across the globe will focus on pertinent topics affecting the modern travel industry , as well as look to identify trends in the African travel market ●
New to WTM Africa in 2017 , the Outbound Conference Theatre will invite travel agents to learn more about the international destinations that are right on our doorstep ●
Enhancements have been made to the Speed Networking programme , with each session extended to 90 minutes from 60 minutes in 2016 .
The matchmaking and diary system has also been improved with the functionality to request meetings with fellow exhibitors and the ability to block out times in the diary . ●
Exhibitor workshops ahead of WTM 2017 will be conducted early in the year , while a White Glove Service means that training can also be done right in your office .
Members of the travel trade and its associated media excited about attending next year ’ s show in Cape Town are encouraged to register soon for WTM Africa 2017 by visiting www . wtmafrica . com and submitting their applications .
About WTM Africa
WTM Africa is a vibrant , culturally diverse , must attend business-to-business travel and tourism event , with a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to African and International travel professionals .
Join travel professionals from 77 countries and regions over three days in Cape Town , South Africa . WTM Africa is an international event providing a platform to showcase your products to serious buyers .
www . wtmafrica . com
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is a leading global player in the world of exhibitions and part of RELX Group , one of South Africa ’ s largest and most successful business events companies . Reed Exhibitions brings over 50 years of experience in developing , marketing , selling and organising exhibitions , events , conferences and meetings .
For more information , contact :
Dale Hickey - FOGG Agency dale @ fogg . agency + 27 87 808 1453
Robyn Elford - RedLip Communications robyn @ redlip . co . za + 27 83 460 5751
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