- Africa Travel Week 2024 scheduled from 07 – 12 April 2024 in the City of Cape Town
- Landmark 10-year anniversary WTM Africa programme includes new partnerships, value-add business-building opportunities, & interactive networking
- Registration includes access to several bolt-on events, awards ceremonies, content workshops, social events, product launches, exhibitor activations & live performances
Cape Town 6 February 2024 – WTM Africa, Africa’s leading B2B tourism trade event, is proud to announce its commitment to sustainability at this year’s show, running from 03 – 05 April 2024 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
“The expansion of our sector must go hand in hand with responsible choices to ensure its longevity and lasting impact on the world,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director – Travel, Tourism at RX Africa.
“This year, we’re bringing it to the forefront, with heightened efforts in reducing our carbon footprint, minimising waste, and promoting accessible eco-friendly practices businesses at all levels can implement.”
Celebrating sustainable tourism has remained a green thread throughout the show’s ten-year history. Their 2024 partnership with the City of Cape Town, one of Africa’s leading responsible tourism destinations, reinforces this commitment.
“So much of what we do in the City of Cape Town relies on maximising our economic potential as a tourism destination, but this can’t come at an unaffordable cost to our environment,” adds Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of Cape Town.
“It is wonderful to see that sustainable tourism will be front and centre of the WTM Africa agenda this year. I applaud all efforts to promote impactful changes and to ensure that we can grow this sector without leaving a harmful footprint.”
Notable eco-initiatives at WTM Africa 2024 include:
- Continued collaboration with host venue, the CTICC, which operates with a stringent environmental policy and an environmental action plan
- Introduction of a WTM Africa app to reduce paper waste throughout the show
- Recyclable badges manufactured from 100% biodegradable Kraft paper, reusable show bags – 100% cotton, and the implementation of digital and fabric signage.
- Recycled PET plastic lanyards, courtesy of local eco-friendly product manufacturer, E’Yako Green.
- Introduction of the Sustainability Village. A walk-through hub bringing together artisans, and thought leaders to highlight responsible tourism in action, including Uthanda and Wild Survivors.
- On-site Crafters Nexus showcasing local crafters as potential business partners for delegates.
- Collaboration with All About Africa Founder, Melissa Foley to establish resources for attendees outlining actionable sustainable changes in their businesses.
Along with the Responsible Tourism Awards, spotlighting travel suppliers and their sustainability successes, WTM Africa 2024 is partnering with several impactful initiatives. This includes Recycled Flip Flop Sculptures Studio (RFFSS), a Cape Town-based studio founded by Davis Ndungu that upcycles discarded flip flops into art.
To further emphasise sustainable choices in business decision-making, Dunia Designs was selected to dress the show’s principal stage venue: the Inspire Theatre, powered by FNB PayPal.
“Based in Tanzania, Dunia Designs is an eco-conscious company dedicated to transforming waste into wonder by crafting unique, high-quality from recycled materials,” says Alexis Cronin, Dunia Designs Founder.
“By merging local craftsmanship with a commitment to green practices, we not only address deforestation, plastic waste management, and job creation but provide a cost-effective supply chain solution to the hospitality industry.”
As an extension of RX Africa, De Jager highlights WTM Africa’s responsibility to use their platform to demonstrate how small yet thoughtful changes lead to a significant and measurable impact in the long run.
“It’s time to challenge ourselves to think outside the box and explore new ways of inspiring greater accountability and local impact. We’re thrilled to announce that WTM Africa 2024 is set to be the most sustainable edition yet,” she concludes.
To attend WTM Africa 2024 and bolt-on events visit: https://www.wtm.com/africa/en-gb.html
-ENDS-
Issued by: Big Ambitions
Contact: Sonnette Fourie
Tel: +27 81 072 2869
Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za
World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next live event: 5 to 7 November 2024 at ExCel London
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now on its 31st year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2023 welcomed over 40,000 attendees and hosted over 30,000 visitors, including more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 150 countries, across 10 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
Next in-person event: 6 to 9 May 2024, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events taking place from 6 to 12 May, within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2024. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Influencers’ events, GBTA Business Travel Forums, as well as ATM Travel Tech. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, as well as a series of country forums.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
Next event: 15 to 17 April 2024 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
Next event: 10 to 12 April 2024 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
About RX (Reed Exhibitions)
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face to face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at approximately 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 35,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.
*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
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