WTM 2012 to generate £585m for Americas exhibitors

World Travel Market (WTM) 2012, the leading global event for the travel industry, will generate more than £585 million for exhibitors from Americas & The Caribbean, an impressive 30% increase on WTM 2011.

WTM’s Americas & The Caribbean region covers North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Independent analysis of WTM 2012, by Fusion Communications, reveals £585m of business will be generated for Americas & The Caribbean, either through contracts signed at the event with WTM Buyers’ Club (formerly known as WTM Meridian Club) members or from further negotiations which will conclude before WTM 2013.

Research by the same organization for WTM 2011 revealed the region generated £456m in industry deals.

The impressive increase in business for Americas exhibitors helped to set up the hugely successful WTM Latin America, which took place Sao Paulo on April 23-25.

The Americas and Caribbean region welcomed eight new exhibitors to WTM 2012, including Cuba Direct, Cuba Select Travel, Harlequin Hotels and Resorts, the Falkland Islands Tourist Board and Discover Ecuador.

Regular exhibitors such as Caribbean Tourism Organization, Embratur (The Brazilian National Tourist Board) and the Canadian Tourism Commission were also in attendance, while others provided speakers for seminars and presentations.

Americas & Caribbean was also strongly represented at the WTM Speed Networking events on the Monday and Thursday of WTM 2012. Exhibitors took advantage of the chance to meet contacts briefly before the event opened and arrange a more detailed discussion later.

Furthermore, Peru won the Best Stand Award for Doing Business and Best Use of Video on Stand Awards at WTM 2012, while Honduras scooped the Best Stand Award for Best Feature.

Overall WTM 2012 will generate £1,860 million of business for all exhibitors before WTM 2013 opens on November 4.

WTM continues to generate double-digit business growth for the global travel industry despite the gloomy economic picture of the past few years. 2012’s £1,860m worth of deals was 13% ahead of 2011’s £1,653m. This was 16% ahead of 2010’s £1,425m, with the 2010 sum representing a 25% hike on 2009.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Director World Travel Market Simon Press said: “The amount of business WTM 2012 conducted for all our exhibitors from the Americas is phenomenal and a testament to WTM’s role in facilitating business on a truly global scale.”