• World Travel Market – 2014 gets down to business

    World Travel Market – 2014  gets down to business

    London: Visitors to World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, got down to business from the start of the first day, with key new business contacts being made at the WTM Speed Networking event.

    Members of the World Travel Market Buyers’ Club met a wide range of exhibitors during the hour-long speed networking session.

    Paul Cowley, Operations Director, The Travel Rep Ltd, on behalf of Enable Holidays, said: “I have done all four years of speed networking now and this is the best.’

    Sylvie Golder, Director, The Travel Company, added: “This is the best event ever. It is well organised and you meet people that you cannot meet otherwise.”

    Chris Clarke, co-founder Uncover Britain, a start-up business working with Chinese inbound operators, commented: “This is effectively a soft launch for the Uncover Britain brand. We’re using Speed Networking as an opportunity to talk to not only Chinese inbound operators but also UK suppliers whose product is of interest to the Chinese inbound market.”

    The event also welcomed ministers from around the world, as well as a host of business leaders, academics and celebrities from sport, music and fashion.

    In his keynote speech at WTM, the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Sajid Javid said a strategic review would be carried out “to find out what’s needed to punch above our weight in the travel business sector”.

    Referring to the UK successfully hosting global events such as WTM, G8 and the Olympics, he asked: “Why can’t we be the number one destination for business conferences? We have some of the best event organisers in the world but they are spending too much time putting on events on overseas.”

    “Retail royalty” Justin King CBE – the former Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s – spoke to a packed room of senior industry delegates at the Captains of Industry event to share his experiences of turning around the supermarket giant.He also warned that any UK referendum on European Union membership would cause huge uncertainty – which is bad for business.

    Egypt has returned to “pyramid selling”, with the country’s tourism minister unveiling a new promotional campaign highlighting cultural attractions, temples and the legacy of the pharaohs.

    “People tend to forget our USP – the pyramids and the Nile,” said Hisham Zaazou, tourism minister, unveiling the ‘Live the Magic’ campaign at WTM.

    “Egypt is not only the sun and the sea. We have culture, trekking, opera, safaris, cruising and conferences – and the pharaohs and the incomparable Luxor and Aswan.”

    Visitor numbers from the UK to Spain are close to recovering to pre-crisis levels, with gastro-tourism a driving force in the recovery.

    Spain’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Jose Manuel Soria, told WTM that the number of British tourists to Spain this year is likely to reach 15 million.

    “This is still short of our peak in 2007 when it was close to 16 million, but certainly the best performance for four or five years,” he said.

    Gastronomy is one of the “key tourism assets” of Spain, he said, with food and cuisine projected as a factor in 1.5 million visits this year.

    The Greek National Tourist Organisation used WTM to launch a promotional video focusing on the country’s gods, myths and heroes to highlight Greece’s cultural attractions.

    Visitor figures in 2014 reached 20 million, with an additional two million cruise visitors.

    GNTO Secretary-General Panos Leivadas said: “2014 has been a year to remember and we believe that 2015 is going to be an equally positive year – a year of further development and growth. The last two years were marked by creativity and positive performance.”

    The Caribbean Tourism Organisation is “cautiously optimistic” that travel to the region will grow by 4-5% next year.

    At the launch of the CTO UK and European Travel Industry Trends and Insight Report 2014, the tourism body said it was encouraged that 20% of UK customers are planning to spend more on their holidays in 2015.

    That, coupled with changes to Air Passenger Duty next year when the Caribbean will come under the lower band B rate instead of the higher band C rate, should help the CTO achieve its growth forecast.

    Supermodel Petra Nemcova was at WTM to talk about her Happy Hearts Fund, which is on track to exceed its target of building 100 schools by the end of 2014, in areas hit by natural disasters.

    The fund’s schools are providing an education for nearly 50,000 children in eight countries.

    Nemcova was awarded World Tourism Humanitarian Award on the opening day of WTM for her “inspiring philanthropic initiative and vision”.

    Air travellers of the future could be saying “Beam me up” as teleporting, hypersonic flights and other Star Trek fantasies become the norm, a tourism expert predicted at WTM.

    Professor Ian Yeoman, a travel and tourism ‘futurologist, said many things that had appeared as science fiction in shows such as Star Trek had a habit of becoming possible.

    Technology originally featured in Star Trek was now in common use such as replicators – now 3D printers – and Dr McCoy’s medical scanner, more commonly known as an MRI scanner.

    Hypersonic flights, which could be as close as 20-25 years away, would drastically cut long-haul flying times.

    Antigua’s tourism minister confirmed the country is in talks with TUI over potential flights to the destination.

    TUI has previously said it would be keen to use the Dreamliner to serve its Caribbean cruise programme.

    Minister of Tourism, Economic Development and Energy Asot Michael said a discussion had taken place with TUI just before WTM but that as yet there was no announcement to be made.

    Meanwhile, British Airways is adding an extra flight to the island from summer 2015, bringing its frequency to seven a week according to a press statement of WTM.
    November 3, 2014

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

      Theme Park Expo Vietnam 2025

      Asia Pool & Spa Expo , May 10 – 12, 2025 , Guangzhou , China

      KAZAKHSTAN International Exhibition “Tourism & Travel” Almaty, Kazakhstan

      Nihao China- Beyond your imagination

      India resumes tourist visa for

      Chinese citizens after 5 years

      India announced  that it will open tourist visa applications to Chinese citizens from July 24, 2025. It was the first time in five years since the South Asian country suspended Chinese citizens’ tourist visa applications in February 2020.

      The Embassy of India in China announced via its Sina Weibo account  that, starting from July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment, and personally submitting their passport and other required documents to three Indian visa application centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in South China’s Guangdong Province.

      Responding to the related inquiry, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said  that “we take note of this positive move. Easing cross-border travel is widely beneficial. China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries.”

      Chinese experts said the latest move taken by the India marks a phased milestone in the easing of relations between the two countries, and creates favorable conditions for further strengthening bilateral people-to-people exchanges.

      On February 2, 2020, India temporarily suspended its e-visa facility for Chinese travelers and foreigners residing in China amid coronavirus outbreak. – Global Times

      Trump to pause anti-immigrant

      raids in hotels , restaurants

      US President Donald Trump has decided to temporarily suspend raids on farms, hotels and restaurants, according a media report.

      The US government has ordered immigration officials to pause raids and arrests on farms, hotels and restaurants, according to a report by the New York Times.

      Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were sent a directive asking that they refrain from heading to such establishments, which also include meatpacking plants and aquaculture.

      Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the report, saying in a statement that “we will follow the president’s direction and continue to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off America’s streets.”

      The pause in the raids potentially reflects the government’s concerns about the negative impact these operations are having on vital economic sectors, as well as electoral support. The agricultural industry, particularly in states like California, relies almost exclusively on immigrant labour for its day-to-day operations.

      The recent protests in Los Angeles, which were triggered by large-scale immigration raids in local communities, have increased pressure on the government. This situation poses a dilemma for the president, who is seeking to maintain the support of key constituencies ahead of the upcoming congressional and midterm elections in 2026.

      Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has implemented an unprecedentedly heavy-handed immigration policy. His cabinet officials recently held meetings with ICE leadership, setting a minimum quota of 3,000 arrests per day, a mandate that has resulted in intensified immigration raids nationwide.

      The temporary suspension of the agriculture and hospitality raids likely does not represent a fundamental change in Trump’s immigration policy, which remains aggressive in rhetoric.

      Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem pledhed that federal authorities are “not going away”, and that people who are in the country illegally, as well as violent protesters, will “face consequences”.

      The administration has relied heavily on a crime-focused message, which places significant emphasis on apprehending individuals illegally in the country who are also violent criminals.

      That message has been undercut, however, by statistics revealed this week which show the number of people arrested for immigration violations that have never faced other criminal charges or convictions has shot up from 860 in January this year to 7,800 this month.

      The number of individuals arrested with criminal charges and convictions also went up, but at a significantly lower rate of 91%. – Euronews , June 14, 2025

      Gulf Cooperation Council Tourism 

      Dubai – As tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue to grow, involving local communities in destination development has become increasingly vital for long-term success.

      Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims for 39.3 million visitors per year, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 150 million domestic and international visits, emphasising how tourism is being established as a key element of economic diversification throughout the region.

      At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, industry leaders emphasised that sustainable revitalisation of destinations must align tourism investments with community partnerships, cultural authenticity, and immersive guest experiences to provide lasting value for both residents and visitors.

      During the session on “Considerations and Implications of Involving Communities in Destination Revitalisation” on the ATM 2025 Global Stage, experts shared insights into building resilience, enhancing local prosperity, and ensuring tourism growth is both inclusive and enduring.

      Arabian Travel Market 2025, held under the theme “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”,  featured more than 200 speakers across three content stages and welcomes over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

      Messe Berlin India launched 

      to drive growth of ITB India 

      Messe Berlin announces the official launch of Messe Berlin India, a newly incorporated subsidiary that underscores the company’s long-term commitment to one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. Headquartered in Delhi , the new entity will serve as a strategic base for expanding ITB India and launching future projects tailored to the Indian market. With this establishment, Messe Berlin is reinforcing its vision of India as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business growth within the exhibition and events industry.

      “Messe Berlin’s presence in India reflects our strategic intent to strengthen our international reach by being where the growth is. India is a key market for us — vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunities. With Messe Berlin India, we are laying down long-term foundations to build strong partnerships, support local industries, and elevate our global platforms,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin.

      ITB India, inaugurated in 2023, continues as the flagship event under the new subsidiary. Held annually, ITB India is a three-day B2B travel trade show and convention that connects the global travel and tourism industry with the Indian market. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India serves as a unique platform to forge new partnerships, strengthen existing ties, and capitalize on the fast-growing potential of the Indian and South Asian travel economies. The show hosts key players from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel, and Travel Technology sectors. The upcoming edition, ITB India 2025, will take place from 2 – 4 September 2025  in Mumbai.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
      investment)