WTM 2012 Sees 3 Percent Visitor Increase

World Travel Market (WTM) 2012, the leading global event for the travel industry, experienced an overall accumulative 3 percent increase in visitors with each of the 4 days, attracting more visitors than in 2011.

Overall, WTM 2012 attracted almost 29,000 travel trade visitors, reveals unaudited figures. The first day of WTM 2012 (Monday, November 5) was a resounding success with exhibitor invitation visitors up 5 percent on last year’s event.

The Monday of WTM is an exhibitor invite-only day with the aim of allowing exhibitors to hold discussions and negotiations with those buyers that they want to conduct business with.

The Monday morning Speed Networking session was a great success with a record number of both exhibitors (498) and WTM Meridian Club buyers (210) discussing business deals before the exhibition floor opened.

The second day (Tuesday, November 6) experienced a 1 percent increase on the second day of last year’s event. Tuesday is the busiest day of WTM as it is the first day the event is open to the whole industry following on from the exhibitor invite-only policy on Monday.

Wednesday, November 7, saw a massive 9 percent visitor increase, compared to the equivalent day the previous year. The final day of WTM saw a 1 percent increase compared to the same day at WTM 2011, with Thursday Speed Networking – introduced this year to facilitate post-WTM business deals – attracting 372 exhibitors and 100 senior buyers form the WTM Meridian Club.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Director, World Travel Market, Simon Press, said: “I am delighted with WTM’s unaudited visitor figures. Every single day experienced an increase in visitors, which demonstrates how WTM delivers for its exhibitors.