The inaugural World Travel Market Latin America in Sao Paulo, Brazil, attracted almost 17,000 visits from senior industry professionals looking to conduct business negotiations over the three days of the event.

World Travel Market experienced a five per cent increase in participants with the event opening its doors to more than 50,000 delegates over the four days. All visitor groups experienced growth, according to unaudited figures, with the WTM Buyers’ Club seeing an eight per cent increase.

Many had attended previous networking sessions at WTM and were keen to repeat the experience as it offered the chance to make valuable, targeted contacts in a concentrated period, which enabled them to chase lucrative leads later at the show.

The world’s leading LGBT tourism trade association has released new research at World Travel Market showing the annual spend on tourism by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will exceed USD$200 billion for the first time in 2014.

Perhaps the most important comment of the largest day of responsible tourism action in the world – World Responsible Tourism Day - was the last one, made by WTM's Responsible Tourism Advisor Harold Goodwin.