The Brazilian edition of the World Travel Market aims to be bigger and better by generating business deals with over £200 million
Destinations, tourism products and travel tech services from around the world have confirmed their presence at World Travel Market Latin America 2015, which will take place between 22 and 24 April in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event is taking place in conjunction with the 43rd Braztoa Business Meeting
According to the organisation, will include four important exhibitors from the UK: Wedgewood, offers a range of services to corporative travel, Travco, focuses on accommodation, JacTravel is a leading global provider of online hotel reservations and TravelTek, provides technology solutions to companies in the tourism sector.
Speaking to Brasil Observer, the director of WTM Latin America, Lawrence Reinisch, explained that the goal is “to promote longstanding business”. “Last year, £206 million were traded during [the fair] and in the months that followed”. The organisers wish to exceed upon last year’s figures and make the 2015 edition, the best event so far.
“This year, we will have several new features to increase that sales figure, including the area of Corporate Tourism, headed by ALAGEV (Latin American Association of Event Managers and Corporate Travel), and workshops hosted by FOHB (Brazil’s Hoteliers Operators Forum), which is the most important chains in the country, with 26 members, 630 hotels and 104,000 housing units, explained Lawrence Reinisch”.
Reinisch added that the event also has “established actions such as the Hosted Buyers program, which gives the opportunity for up to 150 highly qualified professionals interested in Latin America to attend as VIPs to the fair, and Speed Networking sessions with hundred buyers and 600 exhibitors.”
Among the Hosted Buyers participants are representatives of six companies from the UK: Saltours International, Miki Travel, Barrhead Travel, Lowcostbeds.com, Ruby Mear Group and Kuoni Travel.
For Reinisch, even with the participation of British companies in WTM Latin America this year, there is room to grow. “Considering the size of the UK and Brazilian economies, the economic relationship between the two countries is still low. This is an important challenge to be overcome: how to increase the perception of Brazil in the UK and the UK in Brazil?”
