WORLD TRAVEL MARKET AFRICA PREPARATION GATHERS MOMENTUM
(Posted 10th January 2014)
The first ever edition of the World Travel Market Africa has received phenomenal initial interest from the global travel industry’s leading buyers with the introduction of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ world-renowned Hosted Buyer programme.
Registration for WTM Africa’s Hosted Buyer programme only opened last week and has already received over 200 applications from 35 different countries for its 300 places at the inaugural event, which takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on May 2nd and 3rd as part of the newly-formed Thebe Reed Exhibitions’ Africa Travel Week.
A targeted recruitment campaign to attract the 300 key international and pan-African hosted buyers was launched at the end of last year and is already well underway. With WTM Africa’s dedicated Hosted Buyer Manager making use of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ extensive buyer contacts and forging key partnerships from both established and emerging markets, the WTM Africa team is confident they can ensure they maintain Reed’s excellent track record in attracting top-quality buyers. Through their extensive qualification process, WTM Africa is well on the way to delivering the most relevant buyers for the exhibiting companies.
The opening of registration for the Hosted Buyer programme has received positive feedback, with global buyers very excited at the prospect of a leading new and fresh B2B event for the African travel industry.
‘For many years we have supported Reed Exhibitions and are disciples of the value-for-the-investment derived through the qualification process Reed Exhibitions puts into each event and the seller contingent drawn in. With African and Indian Ocean destinations looming larger with our client base WTM Africa is the one event we will support delivering new customers and new business to those WTM exhibitors’ said buyer Allan Falck, Executive Director, Sundance Tours, Argentina.
Klas Wallin of Escape Safaris in Sweden added: ‘WTM Africa is great for us as it gathers the whole African market under one umbrella. We are looking forward to meeting our existing suppliers for updates and investigating new opportunities’.
WTM Africa Hosted Buyer Manager Paulina Lund recommends interested buyers to submit their applications. ‘I am delighted with the interest from the world’s leading buyers to be part of WTM Africa’s Hosted Buyer programme. However, I would still urge those buyers who have not applied to do so, as only the most relevant buyers will be the ones that are ultimately chosen to take part in the programme’ said Paulina in a communication sent to this correspondent while WTM Africa Event Manager Polly Magraw added: ‘WTM Africa exhibitors will be impressed with the quality of buyers that have already applied for the programme’.
If any of the readers is interested in being considered for the WTM Africa Hosted Buyer programme, please submit your application atwww.wtmafrica.com/Hosted immediately as spaces are filling up fast.
Suppliers wishing to present their products and take part in the pre-arranged Hosted Buyer appointments should contact the WTM Africa team to secure their participation at www.wtmafrica.com/Exhibit
Africa Travel Week events are:
• ILTM Africa 28 – 30 April 2014
• IBTM Africa 28 – 30 April 2014
• WTM Africa: 02 – 03 May 2014
For further information about each of these Africa Travel Week events, please visit www.africatravelweek.com
