WTM London lines up 60 key conferences

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World Travel Market London 2023, the world’s most influential travel & tourism event, has lined up more than 60 conference sessions with high-profile speakers and seminars.

The conferences are aimed at empowering the global travel community, and reminding them they have the 'Power to Change' travel, WTM London said.

The conference programme will include eight new tracks across three stages over three days, taking place at ExCeL London, from November 6 to 8. In a move away from previous years, the 2023 conference stages will be named Discover, Elevate and Innovate – a reflection of their goal.

Furthermore, in response to the demand in 2022 – which saw 9,102 visitors attend the WTM London Conference sessions – stage sizes have been increased, and rather than one main stage, WTM will host three equally important stages across the event.

The eight conference tracks will be titled Sustainability, Technology, Geo-Economics, Emerging Markets, Consumer Trends, Marketing, Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) and Experience and aim to help the global travel community succeed and thrive, by informing, entertaining, and influencing their business decisions.

In another first, the Discover Stage will feature a new layout designed to support networking. Table-based seating, rather than traditional conference-style chairs, will promote networking between sessions, which will also include icebreakers, storytellers, and socialising during breaks.

Some of the key sessions taking place, listed by day, are:

Monday 6th November

The Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market in association with UNWTO and WTTC

In its 17th year, this important event in the WTM London calendar brings together the largest gathering of dignitaries from around the world to discuss and ratify key tourism agreements. The summit will take place on Day One of WTM London 2023. This a change from previous years, when it has taken place on Day Two and signifies the increasing importance of the Summit to the worldwide travel and tourism industry.

Also on November 6, attendees can look forward to the release of WTM’s new research WTM Presents...A Global Travel Outlook. Delegates will gain valuable insights into the trends shaping the future of travel with a presentation of the new WTM Global Travel Report, supported by renowned researchers Oxford Economics.

This session will give a voice to the changing needs of travellers, emerging and growing destinations, and uncover behaviours and trends for 2024 and beyond.

Tuesday 7th November

Diversity & Inclusion Summit (D&I): This important summit launch will tackle why a travel business can perform better with diverse workforces, and the importance of inclusivity in the development of leisure travel strategy. Fostering sense of belonging with consideration for under-represented groups will ensure that travel is accessible to all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

Amongst the sessions, Darren Edwards, a record-breaking disabled adventurer, will examine the stigma surrounding disability and will explore ways in which businesses can overcome subconscious biases.

Technology Summit: The summit will cover sessions such as Building Cities for Smart Tourism; the Future of Technology; and AI - Boundless Opportunities for Change in the Travel Sector.

On the Innovate Stage, the travel community will hear from Tom Hall, Vice President at Lonely Planet, who will review how changes in traveller behaviour and priorities have shifted the landscape of travel.

Wednesday 8th November

Marketing Summit: Marketing sessions will cover data-driven; storytelling and engaging with influencers. Wednesday’s sessions will also cover the future of marketing and digital tools in travel marketing.

Sustainability Summit: Sustainability is still facing many barriers in the travel industry and the summit discovers how education, socio-economic benefits and effective funding can drive positive change and encourage the adoption of sustainable practices throughout the sector.

Among must-attend sessions, Where Next? Reimagining Tourism in a constantly changing climate discovers what good tourism looks like as climate and biodiversity challenges worsen.

In addition, WTM London 2023 will be rounded off by a not to be missed Keynote speaker, whose identity will be revealed soon, the organisers said.

Brooke Gilbertson, International Conference Manager of WTM London, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the great line-up of speakers and panellists headlining at this year’s event. For those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it, WTM London 2023 is a must-attend show with speakers coming from every corner of the world to spread their wisdom on every element of the travel industry.”