WTM London to go ahead at ExCeL in November

It follows the use of exhibition centre – which hosts WTM London every November – as one of the NHS Nightingale field hospitals amid the coronavirus crisis.

Organisers made the statement when announcing WTM London’s participation in Global Exhibitions Day this month.

WTM London’s senior exhibition director Simon Press said: “Now, more than ever before, WTM London will be so important to restarting the global travel and tourism industry, on which the livelihoods of so many people depend.

“It’s also essential to highlight that the safety and wellbeing of our guests remains our highest priority and we will continue to follow the advice of the UK government and Public Health England.

“The Covid pandemic is evolving daily and future updates on the show will be shared with our exhibitors, partners and media.”

Meanwhile, WTM London has partnered with the International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC) to present a virtual conference called “The Future Of Travel & Tourism - Financial Strategies for Recovery” on Wednesday 10 June.

The virtual summit, from 9.15am to 2.15pm (BST), will consider how travel and tourism will emerge from Covid-19 and what is needed to ensure growth.

Dr Taleb Rifai, former Secretary General of UNWTO, will chair the virtual summit, which will feature “prominent and inspirational speakers”.

It will bring together experts from the health sector, tourism ministers, policy-makers and leaders from the travel and tourism sector – connecting them with investors, investment bankers and private equity firms to discuss financial solutions and preparedness to reopen the tourism industry for a better future.

The virtual summit will focus on three themes:

· Health: dealing with Covid-19, and how we restore travellers’ confidence and rebuild business.
· Investment: understanding the financial mechanisms that allow you to survive and rebuild.
· Future: This may not be the last crisis, how can you prepare for any future global catastrophe

The current status of tourism will be discussed, unravelling how the responses of governments and the tourism industry in different countries have been effective and analysing the intricacies of the financial support plans already introduced.

Leading health experts have been invited to participate in the panel discussions to shed new light about the latest vaccine research that could accelerate the recovery of the travel and tourism industry by restoring business confidence.

The themes on the agenda are geared towards the future paradigm shift. Panel discussions will debate how destinations can secure sustainable investment and how businesses should reposition for recovery when the pandemic comes under control.

Former Secretary General of UNWTO, Dr Taleb Rifai says: “We live today in unusual and difficult times. Who would have imagined just three months ago that we would only be able to hold an event like this online?

“We are living in a world where uncertainty has prompted so much fear and panic that no one knows what tomorrow will bring.

“As the pandemic threat became clear, governments intervened aggressively – though to varying degrees. Initially the focus was on containment and healthcare for the infected.

“But as the long-term threat became clear, the focus moved to life after containment which, without a cure, is also a vital part of living.

“As we emerge from this initial phase we must aim for life with dignity, prosperity and hope. So, there is a great need to support economic recovery as a matter of urgency and also to implement measures that restore confidence and trust in the hearts and minds of people.

“This conference is, therefore, very timely and ITIC and WTM London have joined hands to bring this virtual summit to you. We must start planning for tomorrow and we must introduce ways and means of bringing back a sense of normality to the world in which we live.

“This is an important summit not just because of the subject matters but more significantly, its timing.

“I am sure we are all going to come out of this summit a little more confident about the direction in which we are headed.”

For more information contact info@itic.uk or visit the conference website.