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Live the dream – the MTV tie-up redefining Malta

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Destinations interested in appealing to the youth travel market are advised to attend a session at WTM London which highlights how the Isle of MTV Malta has boosted the Mediterranean island’s tourism industry.

Russel Samuel, Vice President, Creative and Integrated Marketing at Viacom Velocity International, and Minister Konrad Mizzi, Malta’s Minister for Tourism, will talk through the data points and share examples of best practice that other destinations can consider.


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Topics such as hosting a live event in a historic location, city branding, partnerships and working with local authorities will be discussed.

Malta expanded its partnership with Viacom with the Nickelodeon Treasure Hunt Malta this April. Events included searching for SpongeBob SquarePants at the National Aquarium and joining the pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Is-Suq Tal-Belt food market.

The session – How the Power of Live Entertainment Can Put a Country on the Youth Travel Map –  is moderated by Becca Dudley, known for her time as MTV’s lead presenter, Glastonbury DJ sets and shows on Apple Music’s international station Beats 1. She is also an ambassador for MTV’s AIDS charity, Staying Alive.

Laura Hamilton, a presenter for Channel 4’s ‘A Place in the Sun’ show will also contribute.

WTM London Senior Exhibition Director Simon Press said: “There’s a lot of talk around Gen Z, experiential tourism and youth travel in general. The MTV partnership has opened up Malta to that segment and the stats prove this.

“WTM is all about sharing actionable insights to help travel businesses and destinations grow, find new markets, form new partnerships. This session represents what we want to achieve.”

The hour-long session takes place on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, starting at 13:15.

As a taster for the session, Russell Samuel took part in the latest WTM Insights Podcast, talking about how pop culture, in general, is driving tourism.

To listen to the podcast and for links to download the episode via Spotify or iTunes, click here.

About World Travel Market

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World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts.

Next event: Monday, November 4 – Wednesday, November 6, 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organizer with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organizing world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: nicole.smart@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

15,000 travel industry experts attended OTDYKH Leisure Fair 2019

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From 10-12 September 2019 the Expocentre in Moscow hosted the prestigious 25th anniversary of the OTDYKH Leisure expo. Over the course of three days almost 15,000 travel industry experts attended the fair, and over 600 exhibitors participated from 35 countries and 41 Russian regions. The expo showcased developments in a range of sectors, such as industrial, event, medical, sports and gastronomic tourism. Companies from across the travel industry took part, including tour operators, hotels, resorts, airlines and transport companies.

This ground-breaking event was officially endorsed by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Culture, the Federal Agency for Tourism, the Russian Union of the Travel Industry and the Russian Association of Tour Operators.
The opening ceremony of the expo was attended by an official delegation, headed by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Alla Manilova. Also present were the Advisor of the Head of the Federal Tourism Agency, Elena Lysenkova, and the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Maksim Fateev. Other esteemed guests included the ambassadors of Brunei, Spain, Mexico, Myanmar, Moldova, Panama and Egypt.

The participants

A range of top international tourist destinations had exclusive stands at the event, including the Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Spain, Serbia, Cuba, Tunis, Morocco, Taiwan, Egypt etc.
In addition to the returning exhibitors, the OTDYKH Leisure Fair 2019 welcomed a number of newcomers; among them were Iran, Taipei, Jamaica and Moldova. Cuba was a sponsor country for the first time.

41 Russian regions participated in the event. The newcomer regions were Astrakhan, Volgograd and Kemerovo, the Republic of Mari El, Khakassia and Sakha (Yakutia).They showcased the best of what the Russian Federation has to offer, and in particular the Komi Republic was announced as a sponsor region.

B2B Marketing Events

The highlight of the expo was a series of exclusive B2B marketing events for the exhibitors. These included roundtable meetings between leading Russian tour operators and international organisations, as well as a sales-call service and bespoke workshops by industry professionals. One of the stand-out events was the B2B Speed Dating service, where industry specialists were granted the opportunity to have back-to-back, individual meetings at the exhibitors’ stands. The roundtable discussions facilitated productive exchanges on a diverse range on topics including international security, charter flights and the simplification of tourist visa procedures for Russian citizens.

The Hosted Buyer Program

Another highlight of the expo was the hotly anticipated Hosted Buyer Program 2019, where high-level buyers, tour operators and travel agencies from 18 Russian regions held meetings with exhibitors. An innovative new matchmaking system, debuted at the 25th edition of the OTDYKH Leisure Fair, allowed exhibitors to schedule meetings in advance in a specially designated business area, resulting in 430 meetings over the course of the event.

The Business Program

The OTDYKH Leisure Fair 2019 featured a comprehensive business program, comprised of 45 business events with over 150 speakers and almost 2,700 participants, cementing its status as a leading industry platform in Russia. Talks centred on the trends currently dominating the tourism market, and how they are projected to develop in the near future.

On the first day of the event, discussions focused on the development of domestic and inbound tourism in Russia. Other prominent seminars explored the role of creative industries, the growing popularity of folkloric culture and the impact of digital technology in the travel industry. On the second day talks centred on the rise of medical tourism in Russia, IT solutions in travel and new trends in business tourism. On the final day the topics were event tourism (such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup) and the development of industrial tourism in the Arctic. An important part of the program on the third day was the discussion on ecotourism, and the increasingly relevant role of ecology in tourism.

The final day of the expo ended on a creative note with a video competition entitled “Hello Russia, My Homeland!” in which a record number of videos were entered, showing the best tourist attractions from across the Russian Federation.

The next OTDYKH Leisure Fair will take place on 8-10 September 2020, at the Expocentre in Moscow, Russia.

MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Huber, Project Manager, Travel Exhibitions Division, Euroexpo Exhibitions & Congress Development GmbH, Tel.: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 36, Fax: + 43 1 230 85 35 – 50/51, a.huber@euroexpo-vienna.com , http://www.euro-expo.org/

WTM London Welcomes Only the Finest Global Travel Buyers to Join 40th Edition

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For the 40th Anniversary of WTM London, the Buyers’ Club program is being revamped to create a new and exclusive experience for buyers, exhibitors and visitors.

The aim is to only have the highest calibre of buyers at the show, meaning that each one receives a more tailored experience. This focus on streamlining WTM London’s features will create a greater business experience for all as well as ensuring the arrival of fresh ideas and new possibilities.

As there will be no changes in visa policies for people entering the UK following a deal or no-deal Brexit – it is anticipated global buyer applications will exceed those of last year. In 2018, there were over 9,000 buyers. This year it is projected there will be more buyer applications than ever.

As part of the new and improved WTM London Buyers’ Club, the top 600 industry buyers will receive invitations to attend. These buyers have achieved their position due to their reputation, place of business and buyer spending power. Although there will be less than in previous years, this group will have been screened to guarantee the highest quality set of buyers that will have ever attended WTM London.

Outside of the top 600 global buyers, the application process includes a new vetting procedure. This process will gather data on how individual buyers use WTM London to enhance their business, ensuring all who attend gain maximum benefits from this world-class travel exhibition.

All Buyers’ Club members have the opportunity to expand connections in the comfort of dedicated luxury lounges during the show, complete with private meeting rooms. This is in addition to the opportunity to participate in at least one of the WTM London Speed Networking events. Taking place on the Monday (4) and Tuesday (5) of WTM London, the speed networking aims to bring together global buyers and suppliers in a professional and business-driven environment.

Senior Exhibition Director of WTM London, Simon Press, said: “This fundamental change in the way in which the Buyers’ Programme will operate represents an exciting advancement for WTM London.

“Entering our 40th edition has encouraged us to refine our products in order to give attendees the best experience possible. We feel our more exclusive approach to the Buyers’ Club will produce fantastic results, making WTM London the location for the world’s top buyers to do business and to enhance the global travel industry.”

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/.

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: nicole.smart@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

Bartlett to receive Africa Travel and Tourism Award

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been recognized by the African travel and tourism industry for his exemplary work and contribution to the growth of the sector in Africa and in the Diaspora.

ATQ News and Akwaaba African Travel Market have selected Minister Bartlett as one of the Africa Top 100 Tourism Personalities to be honoured at the First African Tourism Diaspora Conference 2019, which takes place in Lagos, Nigeria, September 22 to 24, 2019.

Publisher of ATQ News, Ikechi Uko says “The award recognizes personalities of African origin, living in Africa or outside the continent, irrespective of their current citizenship or nationality who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and its Diaspora.”

While he is unable to accept the award in person due to prior commitments, Minister Bartlett has acknowledged the prestigious Africa Travel 100 Global Personalities Award as a tremendous honour for the work he has been doing on behalf of Jamaica and reaffirmation that it is a tour de force in the global travel industry.

“The relationship Jamaica’s tourism industry has with the continent of Africa is very meaningful.  I therefore wholeheartedly thank the African Tourism Diaspora for this wonderful recognition, which I believe will further strengthen the relationship Jamaica has with the continent,” said Minister Bartlett in his letter acknowledging the award and advising that Jamaican High Commissioner, His Excellency Esmond St C Reid, will receive it on his behalf.

Minister Bartlett is a member of African Tourism Board Association and has been working to create avenues for continued growth and corporation between the nations of Africa and Jamaica which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya to broaden cooperation in tourism. Also, President Uhuru Kenyatta, on his recent official visit to Jamaica, agreed to be honorary co-chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crises Management Centre (GTRCMC) for Africa.

The Africa Travel 100 Awards, now in its 18th year, has recognized over the years leaders, industry practitioners and government officials who have promoted tourism and improved travel using unique platforms and new information.

It is also set up to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves as foremost and outstanding drivers in the travel and tourism industry and through their efforts and that of their organizations have impacted positively to the travel and tourism sector, stimulating and helping to achieve the country’s tourism goals and forging interactions among stakeholders.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Leading Travel Industry Speakers lined-up for WTM London 2019

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WTM London will once again host a series of high-profile industry conferences and seminars showing that Ideas Arrive Here. The leading global event, taking place between the 4 – 6 November 2019, has lined-up esteemed speakers including the President of Hilton Hotels in the EMEA region, a top easyJet boss and the CEO of Virgin Atlantic.

Following on from last year’s successful introduction of Regional Inspiration Zones, WTM London 2019 will continue to host a varied selection of informative sessions in each of the areas – fitting with the region in which the stage is located.

On the opening day of WTM London (Monday 4 November) the Global Stage will play host to a panel discussion moderated by the Telegraph’s Deputy Head of Travel Ben Ross focusing on the current state of UK Travel Markets and what to expect in 2020.

Speakers will discuss what they think the key factors developing the travel trade will be heading into 2020 and will highlight the new possibilities for the industry. Speakers such as Jo Rzymowska, VP and Managing Director of Celebrity Cruises, Caroline Bremner, Head of Travel at Euromonitor and Neil Slaven, UK Country Director of EasyJet. They will all be sharing their views and addressing issues from consumer confidence to changing holiday preferences and the ever-present effect of Brexit.

On Monday afternoon, visitors will have the chance to listen to Simon Vincent OBE, the Executive VP and President of Europe, Middle East & Africa for Hilton Hotels. The company celebrates its centenary this year as one of the leading players in the global travel industry. As a crucial part of the travel and tourism industry, Simon will be expressing his views on the future of both Hilton and the hotel industry in general.

Tuesday’s schedule will include a ministers’ summit hosted by the UNWTO’s Secretary General, Zurab Pololikashvili and WTM London’s Senior Director, Simon Press on the Global Stage. This summit will provide a practical platform for tourism leaders in the public and private sectors to share best practices and create new innovative perspectives for the travel sector. The session will run for two hours and include a networking opportunity.

Later in the day, Shai Weiss, the CEO of Virgin Atlantic will be talking to John Strickland of JLS Consulting on the European Inspiration Zone stage. Virgin Atlantic is taking off in a new direction this year with a new CEO and ownership structure so this interview will provide a fascinating opportunity for the audience to understand how they plan to compete in the airline industry over the coming decades. What will they plan to do with newly acquired Flybe? What are the airline’s plans regarding the delivery of its brand new Airbus A350s? And, what does the airline plan to do should London Heathrow build a third runway?

Wednesday’s schedule is filled with specific talks designed to benefit all sectors of the industry. Travel Perspective will be taking over the Global Stage in the afternoon to host a talk focusing on the past 40 years of travel and what we have learned from this, which will assist in plans for the future of the industry.

For those interested in travel technology, Genesys will be hosting their own panel session in the UK and Ireland Inspiration Zone on the Future of Digital Travel. Paul Richer, Founder and Senior Partner of Genesys, will moderate in this talk. He will be asking Daniel Wishnia of Aroundtown SA and Joel Brandon-Bravo of TransPerfect what it takes to succeed in the online travel world through their efforts to inspire fresh thinking.

Simon Press, Senior Director of WTM London, said “To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of WTM London, we couldn’t be more pleased with the stellar line up of speakers and panelists speaking at this year’s event.

We have speakers coming from every corner of the world to spread their wisdom on every element of the travel industry and there will be something of interest to everyone who works in the travel industry over the three days of talks at WTM London 2019.”

To view the confirmed Event Program for 2019 and to register to attend WTM London visit – www.london.wtm.com

eTN is a media partner for WTM.

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/

Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

London Travel Week, brought to you by WTM London, is the one-stop-shop for event hosts and visitors to be able to shape the next 12 months of travel together. The festival of events supports the global travel and tourism industry by capturing invaluable news and enhancing industry connections.

The inaugural London Travel Week will take place from Friday 1st November – Saturday 7 November 2019.

Travel Forward is the travel technology event co-located with WTM London and part of the WTM Portfolio of events. The second Travel Forward conference, exhibition and buyer program will take place on 4–6 November 2019 at ExCeL London, showcasing next-generation technology for travel and hospitality. http://travelforward.wtm.com/

International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs), presented by WTM London, celebrate the success of national, regional and city tourist boards and recognize outstanding private sector companies and individuals. Now in their second year, the awards will showcase the best in class of the global travel & tourism industry at the new venue, Magazine London on Tuesday 5 November 2019. https://awards.wtm.com/

BorderlessLive is the brand-new festival where content creators, brands and the community join each other to learn, collaborate, create, inspire and be inspired. This one-of-a-kind event is open to all who have a keen interest in social media, travel, lifestyle, hospitality and the future of influencer marketing. BorderlessLive will debut at London’s Tobacco Dock on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September 2019. http://www.borderlesslive.com/

WTM Latin America attracts about 9,000 senior executives and generates about US$374 million of new business. Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this show attracts a global audience to meet and shape the direction of the travel industry. More than 8,000 unique visitors attend the event to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry news. http://latinamerica.wtm.com/

Next event: Tuesday 31 March to Thursday 2 April 2020 – Sao Paulo.

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nearly 5,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors. http://africa.wtm.com/

Next event: Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 April 2020 – Cape Town.

Arabian Travel Market is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2019 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 155 countries over the four days. ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre.

To find out more, please visit www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com

Arabian Travel Market 2020 will take place in Dubai from Sunday 19 April to Wednesday 22 April 2020.

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organizer with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organizing world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858