Cape Town, 4 April 2025 – ILTM Africa, the continent’s premier invitation-only luxury travel event scheduled for 6-8 April 2025 at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, is officially fully booked – a testament to the robust growth of Africa’s luxury travel sector and increasing global interest in the region’s exclusive experiences.
The sold-out status aligns with luxury travel trends highlighted by Virtuoso research released in 2024, which revealed that luxury travel sales had surged 211% compared to 2019, with the African continent emerging as a leading beneficiary of this upmarket travel renaissance.
“We’ve witnessed unprecedented demand for exhibition space this year, with travel brands across Africa eager to connect with the world’s most influential luxury travel advisors,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director at Africa Travel Week.
Held just before WTM Africa as part of Africa Travel Week, ILTM Africa brings together handpicked African exhibitors and elite international buyers for three days of curated appointments, thought leadership sessions and intimate networking activations around Cape Town.
“What sets ILTM Africa apart is our commitment to creating meaningful connections that go beyond transactional relationships,” De Jager explains. “We’re orchestrating experiences and one-on-one meetings that showcase the very essence of African luxury while building relationships that drive the industry forward.”
ILTM Africa continues its strategic partnership with Euromonitor International, the world's leading provider of market research, to deliver crucial data and insights on luxury travel trends across the continent.
The 2025 programme includes standout experiences such as:
- Chauffeur-driven vintage motorbike sidecar arrivals for hosted buyers
- An artful garden picnic hosted by Steadfast
- ‘In Conversations with’ – intimate talks focusing on ethical travel to Africa and the role of art in the luxury travel space, examining what these mean for Africa as a destination
- Gourmet lunches at Room 91 by Chefs Warehouse
- A scenic Jeep safari along Chapman’s Peak Drive with JEEP Tours Cape Town
The official welcome networking evening features a private exhibition tour at the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and an exclusive opportunity for delegates to handcraft jewellery at The Diamond Works.
The event ends on a high note with an elegant hosted buyer send-off lunch at Steenberg Hotel & Spa – the Cape's oldest farm turned modern luxury retreat.
Art meets conservation
A key highlight this year is Art for Conservation – a fundraising collaboration between Painted Wolf Wines and local artist Leandri Erlank supporting endangered African wild dogs through donations to the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). The largest donor will receive one-of-a-kind artwork created exclusively for this campaign.
“This initiative reflects our industry’s commitment to protecting the wildlife and landscapes that make African travel so extraordinary,” notes De Jager. “The largest donor will win these exclusive pieces, creating a compelling opportunity for our delegates to contribute to this vital cause.”
ILTM Africa’s unprecedented early sell-out demonstrates the escalating demand for authentic African luxury experiences and confirms the continent’s growing influence in global high-end travel trends. Says Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of the Cape Town:
“How wonderful to hear that the International Luxury Travel Market Africa event is already fully booked, and that the luxury travel world’s attention will be firmly on Africa for those three important days. Cape Town could not be prouder to host this event. As the gateway into the region – and the undisputed luxury travel capital of the continent – we can’t wait to show exhibitors and delegates what our city has to offer, and why Africa is the future of this rapidly growing sector. I wish the organisers and all our visitors a wonderful ILTM Africa 2025, and great stay in Cape Town.”
“As the continent continues to redefine what luxury means, we’re proud to provide the definitive platform where these extraordinary African stories meet the world’s most discerning travel designers,” De Jager concludes.
-ENDS-
Issued by: Big Ambitions
Contact: Sonnette Fourie
Tel: +27 81 072 2869
Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za
ABOUT:
ILTM Africa gives leaders in the African luxury travel market every opportunity to re-connect, build relationships and grow their business. An invitation-only event, the very best travel agents from across the globe meet Africa’s most spectacular luxury travel experience providers.
Next event: 6 to 8 April 2025 – Norval Foundation, Cape Town https://www.iltm.com/africa/en-gb.html
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, WTM Africa facilitated more than 10 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.
Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
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.
RX: is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
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 36,000 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
Share:
