Luxury Travel continues to boom with over 10,000 attendees
The 23rd edition of ILTM Cannes, the world’s leading luxury travel event took place 2-5 December 2024, marking the largest edition of the event to date and set a new record with over 85,000 scheduled meetings.
Luxury travel brands, experiences, destinations, and suppliers enjoyed a week of building and strengthening connections with international travel planners, curators and agencies marking the fact that the luxury travel industry is booming. Over 2,350 buyers from 84 countries – 30% new to the event - met with over 2,350 brands from 105 countries, alongside an extensive programme of networking events.
The global flagship event for the ILTM Portfolio began with an Opening Forum on Monday 2 December, addressing an audience of more than 3,000 and featuring three inspirational presentations for the global luxury travel community. Merryn Somerset Webb, senior columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and host of the Merryn Talks Money podcast, voiced optimism around the upcoming largest transfer of wealth from the baby boomers. Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, expressed a need to return to less high-tech hotel services. And TJ Abrams, VP of global well-being at Hyatt, and Alison Gilmore, Portfolio Director ILTM, unveiled a new wellness research conducted by Altiant, in partnership with Hyatt and ILTM. The survey of 800 people across global markets revealed that "health is the new wealth," with 74% of travellers integrating wellness into their routines.
ILTM welcomed some new dedicated areas: a dedicated Accor ‘Grand Pavilion’ on the Palais beach, a new Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) hospitality terrace, Belmond had journey through an experimental pavilion, a new CannesX lifestyle brand bar on the ground floor. Other newcomers included the tourism boards of Australia, Egypt and Mauritius and destinations increasing their presence significantly included California, Brazil, Oman, Japan and Croatia. Luxury travel brands significantly increasing their footprint at ILTM 2024 including Accor (within their beachfront new pavilion), Hilton Luxury brands, Hyatt Hotels, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred and Marriott International Luxury brands.
ILTM Cannes also hosted over 100 of the world’s most influential travel editors from publications and platforms that are the voice of luxury travel to their high-net-worth readers and communities around the world. Exhibitors had the opportunity to meet them through speed networking, press conferences and one-to-one meetings organised over the course of the week.
Luxury travel advisors and exhibitors alike were passionate in their praise of ILTM Cannes in supporting their business goals:
Vanessa McGovern, from Gifted Travel Network commented: "ILTM 2024 had a vibrancy unlike any previous year. Our attending advisors have already shared that these interactions have led to new opportunities and direct business during the show. ILTM 2024 offered the perfect blend of connection, inspiration, and collaboration. I walked away not just with new insights, but with actionable ideas to elevate my business and contribute to the growth of our industry."
Albert Herrera of Internova Travel Group added: “ILTM Cannes brings our advisors together with the most esteemed travel brands in the industry. It’s the ideal event to wrap up 2024 and set us up for another successful year ahead.”
Kelly Gelfand, TRIBE Travel Australia added: “Amazing to see so many small boutique properties so passionate about their products. The depth and breadth here is phenomenal and the access to such high-level partners is unmatchable at any other show. The scheduling allows for meaningful appointments, but also flexibility to make quick connections.”
and Roxy Robinson representing The Roxstar Group in the U.K. said: “Attending ILTM has been a cornerstone of our business for many years. The connections are instrumental for us - ILTM is an essential platform for collaboration, innovation, and growth.”
From an exhibitor perspective, Andrew Boxall of Tourism Australia said: “The luxury market is so important to Australian tourism, and we have so much to offer that’s truly unique. ILTM is crucial for us - it’s not just about showcasing what we have to offer but also about being part of this vibrant community.”
Ian Di Tullio of Minor Hotels International commented: “ILTM is the premier luxury show in the world, which makes it our top priority event worldwide and one we cannot miss. It’s an opportunity to showcase our brand and influence the direction of luxury across the industry, particularly around experiential and transformational travel.”
Paula McColgan, The Goring in London, U.K., saying: “Amazing… the stand-out show for connecting luxury specialists globally. The senior level access all in one place is extraordinary. For an independent hotel such as The Goring it genuinely is invaluable.”
Maria Luz Marín of Meliá Hotels International added: “ILTM continually proves the power of face-to-face connections in the luxury travel industry. The personal interactions here are essential to fostering meaningful relationships and creating opportunities. Every year, ILTM exceeds our expectations, reaffirming why it’s such a vital investment for our business.”
And on behalf of space tourism operator, Zephalto, David Canellas commented: “Our meetings were perfect – so efficient with both high calibre buyers and superb media.”
ILTM Cannes returns 1 – 4 December 2025. Other ILTM event dates next year include:
· ILTM Latin America, Sao Paulo: 5 - 8 May 2025
· ILTM Asia Pacific, Singapore: 30 June – 3 July 2025
· ILTM North America, Baha Mar, Bahamas: 6 – 9 October 2025
ENDS
A selection of images can be downloaded here
For further press information, please contact:
Lucy Clifton: lucy.clifton@spotlightcoms.com / +44 (0) 7973 464273
Gabriela Faulkner: gabriela.faulkner@spotlightcoms.com / +44 7570 319417
Notes to editors
About ILTM
ILTM is a global collection of invitation-only events that brings together leading international buyers to meet and discover the most luxurious travel experiences. Each event introduces an unrivalled selection of luxury travel brands to ILTM’s extensive network of hand-picked luxury travel advisors, through bespoke appointment programmes and networking sessions. Alongside the global flagship events in Cannes and Asia Pacific, ILTM has three core local events: ILTM Arabia, ILTM Latin America and ILTM North America.
About RX
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.
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 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
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