World Travel Market Africa

World Travel Market delivers the leading global events for the travel industry. One of six shows in the WTM portfolio, our Africa show was launched in 2014 to bring the benefits and opportunities of our global industry expertise to travel professionals in this region.

Taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, nearly 5000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading and only business to business (B2B) exhibition for inbound and outbound Africa travel and tourism markets.

Mirrored on WTM flagship events WTM London and Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors.

Beyond the event we continue to help professionals in the African travel industry to drive commercial success with all year round access to make connections, industry news and developments, trends and technologies from around the world.

Through our industry networks, global reach and regional focus, WTM Africa creates personal and business opportunities providing our customers with quality contacts, content and communities.

For many years, WTM London has organised World Responsible Tourism Day, with the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the world’s largest industry event focused on efforts to make the industry more responsible and sustainable. Each year leading figures from the industry, along with representatives of civil society and key organisations, gather to discuss the key issues facing the sustainable development of tourism. Many of these issues are directly reflected in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which was the focus of a key panel discussion at the 2016 event.

The World Travel Market Portfolio includes responsible tourism seminars at WTM London, Arabian Travel Market, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa. These seminars are part of the Events Programme for each show.

2017 was the UN’s International Year of Sustainable Development through Tourism, the spotlight was shone on the industry’s contribution to sustainable development in destinations. Businesses in the sector, in originating markets and destinations, often talk about the contribution that the industry makes to development in destinations. But when the spotlight is shone what evidence will we have to share with the UN and other sectors? How convincing is our case? What evidence can we provide that out contribution is real and significant?

At World Travel Market Africa 2017 Dr Sue Snyman, Glynn O’Leary and Dr Harold Goodwin explored what the SDGs mean for the travel and tourism sector.

Tourism is also mentioned specifically in three of the SDGs:

SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all - states that "By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products." 

SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable Consumption and Production patterns - calls for the world to "Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism which creates jobs, promotes local culture and products.";

SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development - says there is an essential role for tourism, to "by 2030 increase the economic benefits of SIDS and LCDs from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism".

In addition to these goals, tourism is able to support every other SDG - from action on climate change to improving gender equality and protecting biodiversity - and this year, marking the fact that 2017 is also the UN International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development, World Travel Market’s responsible tourism programme will have dedicated panel sessions dedicated to examining what the industry can do to meet its commitments across a range of the goals.

World Travel Market Africa forms part of the Reed Travel Exhibitions WTM Portfolio along with:

• World Travel Market London
• Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
• World Travel Market Latin America
• World Travel Market Connect Asia
• International Golf Travel Market.