As World Travel Market (WTM) London prepares to open its doors from November 4 to 6, the event is positioning itself not just as a global marketplace, but as a crucial accelerator for change within the travel sector for a new era of travel
This WTM will revolve around the theme of Reimagining Travel in a Changing World, guiding attendees through six dedicated, vital conference tracks—from Sustainability and Technology to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion and Geo-Economics. Beyond the content, WTM is rolling out new platforms like the WTM TrendFest stage to showcase immersive experiences and launching WTM TV to extend its engagement globally.
From the highly anticipated WTM Global Travel Report and the perennial WTM Ministers’ Summit, to deep-dive sessions on how AI is disrupting media and the industry's focus on customer experience, the show is packed with indispensable content.
We spoke with Chris Cater-Chapman, Event Director at WTM London, to understand how the event is leveraging its expanded space and strategic focus to deliver maximum value for exhibitors and visitors in a market defined by change and opportunity.
Are there any new features, content stages or themed sections planned for WTM this year at all?
The introduction of a unified theme “Reimagining Travel in a Changing World” for the six conference tracks and their respective summits means there will be more clarity and focus throughout the event. Conference sessions cover a broad range of important topics, including emerging markets and trends, while summits are designed to deep-dive into more specialised and targeted areas. The six tracks are: Sustainability, Technology, DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion), Marketing, Geo-Economics and Travel Trends.
The wide variety of content and discussion panels means attendees hear about plenty of ideas and practical solutions to tackle issues facing the sector.
The ‘Power Hour’ will take place during the first hour of the show on all three days, offering the chance for unscheduled meetings to take place on exhibitor stands
- Chris Cater-Chapman
Also new is the WTM TrendFest stage, offering exhibitors an opportunity to spotlight immersive experiences for visitors, covering leisure activities such as wellness, pop culture, gastronomy, sport and adventure.
Another new feature for 2025 is WTM TV, which will be live streamed around the event and online to educate, engage and connect audiences across the world.
How has the show leveraged AI to deliver a more seamless experience for visitors this year?
There’s no point in developing new technology and tools unless they improve the customer experience, so our content keeps that CX imperative front-of-mind, whether your customers are holidaymakers or B2B partners.
And our sessions will also shine a spotlight on how tech can support sustainability goals – in recent years we’ve looked at issues ranging from how cruise lines can reduce food waste to airlines weighing up alternative fuels to cut their carbon emissions.
We will have a series of sessions for media and influencers, covering the impact of artificial intelligence on travel media – and another session will see food futurist Tony Hunter explore the intersection of food, technology and travel.
What should attendees watch out for? What are some of the ‘must attend’ events at this year’s show? Who are this year’s keynote speakers?
One of the highlights on the first morning is the highly anticipated WTM Global Travel Report in association with Oxford Economics, followed by a high-profile panel discussion discussing the findings.
The WTM Ministers’ Summit, now in its 19th year, is also scheduled for the first morning and I’d urge attendees to get there early as it’s always packed. Moderated by the BBC, it will again bring together global tourism leaders to shape the future of travel through dynamic discussions on policy, strategy and investment.
Also, we’re hosting standalone summits that align with our six tracks, so look out for the Geo-economics Summit, organised by writer Mark Frary, and the Sustainability Summit, organised by Tina O’Dwyer from The Tourism Space, both on the first day.
On the second day of WTM, we have the DEAI Summit, organised by Uwern Jong from OutThere, and the Technology Summit, organised by Timothy O’Neil-Dunne from T2Impact.
The third day will see the Marketing Summit, organised by Matthew Gardiner of Travel Massive and Tina Charisma, from Charisma Campaign.
Other sessions of interest include food futurist Tony Hunter on gastronomy tourism – and we’ll have a big name to reveal for our closing keynote on the third day. Recent keynote speakers have included documentary maker Louis Theroux and comedian Katherine Ryan, so attendees can expect an entertaining and insightful talk.
How does WTM London continue to deliver value for both exhibitors and visitors in a changing market?
With Excel London expanding by 25 per cent for 2025, there will be more space and opportunities for networking with new and established contacts. As well as the expansive conference and summit programme, there will be multiple other opportunities to meet face-to-face.
The ‘Power Hour’ will take place during the first hour of the show on all three days, offering the chance for unscheduled meetings to take place on Exhibitor stands. The Community Hubs in the North and South halls also offer a relaxed space for informal catchups throughout the three-day event.
The WTM Networking Party will take place within WTM TrendFest on Tuesday from 17.00 – 19.30, an evening not to be missed with live entertainment and refreshments.
Private meeting rooms are also available for buyers and industry leaders, providing chances to step away and network, doing business discreetly and in comfort.
The annual content creators and influencer lunch on the third day is where influencers can connect with peers and exhibitors to explore potential partnerships.
How do you see WTM London growing and evolving going forward?
As always, we work closely with exhibitors, buyers and show visitors to gather feedback about each event and planning for 2026 will begin in earnest as soon as 2025 ends.
We set the agenda for the sector, guided by experts across the tourism and travel, so our growth and developments reflect those within our industry.
We enable industry professionals to meet, learn and seal business deals – as they prosper, so do we. I’m very excited for the first WTM under my tenure and to seeing how we can continue to grow and enhance the event in coming years.
WTM London to convene largest number of global leaders
Key global decision makers are set to converge for WTM London’s Ministers’ Summit this November, traditionally the world’s largest annual gathering of tourism leaders, each year.
Taking place on Tuesday 4th November, the event will once again be held in association with UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), moderated by Christian Fraser, Chief Presenter at BBC News. Taking place in the new Maritime Suite, George V Room 1 (part of Excel London’s newest expansion), the summit, now in its 19th year, is expected to showcase its most impactful lineup so far, building on momentum from previous events.
Last year, the summit brought together over 50 Tourism Ministers - a 12 per cent increase on 2023 and a record figure to date. A growth which reflects an overall uptake in attendance for WTM London, with 2025 on track to become the largest in the event's 45-year history.
This year, the summit, ‘Reimagining Tourism Investment Models: Building Next-Generation Incentives’, will explore innovative approaches to tourism investment and forward-looking incentives, aligning with the show’s overarching conference theme of ‘Reimagining Travel in a Changing World’. Building on last year’s discussion, which focused on artificial intelligence, this year’s summit will address key topics such as the integration of emerging technologies to unlock new markets, tools to align investment with national economic transformation agendas and how to diversify tourism investment for long-term resilience.
With tourism entering a decisive stage of transformation, the summit will present clear steps to take tourism investment models from traditional and service-based to strategic and forward-looking.