WTM 2022 survival guide & what's on

And the press conferences, meetings, and free booze events you need to know about.

It’s nearly that time of year again, writers! No, I don’t mean Christmas — World Travel Market is almost upon us! This is one of the biggest networking events in the wider travel industry’s calendar and can be a great place to get ideas, angles, hooks and make contacts for the following year. This mammoth conference at the Excel centre in London is both fun (free wine and USB sticks!) and infuriating (train strikes! the world’s longest corridor!), but it’s not always easy to get your head around.

We’ve got a few survival tips, and the lowdown on the events, press conferences and other tomfoolery going on around WTM. It’s a working list that we’ll update as more is announced, so keep checking back to the post in our archive.

Surviving WTM 2022

• Do: bring business cards — this industry is obsessed with them. (You can get 25% off with my referral code for Moo)

• Don’t: get the train with an RMT provider. There’s a strike on.

• Do: bring your own lunch — the lines are long, the food underwhelming and the prices outrageous.

• Don’t: pick up all those brochures, flyers and USB sticks. You don’t need them. No really, you don’t.

• Do: meet the tourist boards — they always have the best knowledge of what’s new and exciting in their destinations.

• Don’t: book back-to-back meetings — it will take 15 mins to get from one end of the Excel to the other, and you’ll want time to pee.

• Do: mooch about in the media/press centre, it’s always fun to bump into colleagues (say hi if you see me or Steph hiding away in there).

• Don’t: leave with the masses. Try to head off early or get to an event nearby on foot so you don’t have to battle the entire conference to get on the DLR.

• Do: get to an after party. As journalists it is our duty to make the most of free wine. Want to know who’s offering? Read on…

What’s on at WTM 2022?

Sunday 6 November

• The British Guild of Travel Writers’ annual gala is deviating from the Savoy this year to the brand new Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. There will be food, wine, awards and performances by CAGES cast. Buy tickets here for £162; though if you’re a plus-one for a BGTW member you can get a ticket for £90. Member tickets are £45.

• Qatar Tourism is hosting a World Travel Market reception at The Ned Rooftop (usually reserved exclusively for members) from 6.30-10.30pm on Sunday 6 November 2022. RSVPs are essential as space is limited — maddy.schilg@onegreenbean.com

Monday 7 November

Meetings & press conferences:

• The lovely LOTUS PR team have loads going on with their Spanish clients (think Spanish Tourist Office, the Balearics, Andalucia etc), as well as Greece, Peru, Jeddah, Sharjah, Israel, Guyana, Sarawak and Sierra Leone. See the full list of their happenings here.

• 12.30pm — Press conference at the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority stand ME400

• Meetings available with Berthold Trenkel, chief operations officer, Qatar Tourism – available Monday 7 November only — maddy.schilg@onegreenbean.com

• Meetings available with Cape Town Tourism's CEO Enver Duminy throughout the day. Email alana@farcommunications.co.uk

• On-stand (ME500) interviews will be available with Abdulla Yousuf Mohammed, Travel Trade Marketing Director at DCT Abu Dhabi. Email Alice.Thomas@bcw-global.com

• Throughout WTM, interviews are available with: Carolina Briones, General Secretary of the Central American Tourism Agency; Anasha Campbell, Tourism Minister of Guatemala; amd Alejandro Iván De León, Tourism Vice Minister of Guatemala. Contact Sasha Cummings-Kline at sc@pc.agency

• The Brazilian Tourist Board’s president, Silvio Santos do Nascimento, is also available for interview. Email Austyn.Close@hkstrategies.com

• The Oman tourism board are open for meetings during all three days. Contact Arianna.Rossi@fourcommunications.com

• Visit St. Pete/Clearwater representatives are keen to meet with media on their stand (NA100). Email Charlotte.Wright@rooster.co.uk

The fun stuff:

• 4.30pm — “Come back to Jamaica” event at stand CA120 — no RSVP necessary

• 6pm — Omio drinks party at The Fox, Excel — RSVP to cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com and mandy.sinclair@whitetigerpr.com

• 6pm — “Senses of Cyprus & Jordan” event at London City Hall — RSVP here

• 7pm — The Visit Florida Signature Dinner is sponsored by Visit St Pete/Clearwater and is taking place at The Underglobe in Bankside. Email Charlotte.Wright@rooster.co.uk for more information.

Tuesday 8 November

Meetings & press conferences:

• The Maldives tourism board has several events and interesting talks throughout the day at the Media Centre ME670

  

• 12pm — Madagascar event in room SG23 (South Gallery) at the Excel — RSVP at kamageo.com/madagascar

• 1pm — Jordan press conference at the Media Centre (ME670) — RSVP here

• 11am & 1pm — the Slovenia stand is running its press conference twice on Tuesday. RSVP to leia@welcometoama.com

The fun stuff:

• 4pm — Antigua & Barbuda sundowners and music at their stand CA140, including cricket bat signing by the “four knights” (Sir Richie Richardson, Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Curtly Ambrose)

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This is very much a working list. We’ll add to it as more events are confirmed so check back via our archive for more nearer the time. If we’re missing one, please feel free to get in touch.