World Travel Market 2014, the leading global event for the travel industry, is launching its first comprehensive programme to support the fast-growing Wellness Tourism sector.
The Wellness Tourism sector is growing at a phenomenal pace of 9% annually, compared to the travel and tourism industry’s 6%.
The WTM Wellness Tourism programme, organised by Spafinder Wellness 365 – the world’s largest media, marketing and gift company for the wellness industry – and in association with the Global Wellness Tourism Congress, takes place across three days of World Travel Market 2014 – Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 November – with some of the leading executives and experts from the sector sharing their experience and insights.
The first session on Tuesday 4 November will explore what Wellness Tourism is and why it is growing faster than the wider travel and tourism industry. The session will include findings form the latest research in the sector.
The second session on Wednesday 5 November looks to define both Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism, which are often confused. It will look at the opportunities in both sectors and how they can work together.
The third session on Thursday 6 November will look at how national and regional governments as well as private sector businesses have successfully integrated wellness tourism into their marketing campaigns.
Spafinder Wellness 365 Managing Director John Bevan said: “I am excited by this opportunity to increase the exposure of the Wellness Tourism industry to the wider global travel industry at WTM.
“The sector offers a wide range of opportunities for the travel and tourism industry to benefit from and World Travel Market – with more than 50,000 senior industry executives in attendance agreeing more than £2 billion in business deals – is the perfect platform to help grow the sector further.”
World Travel Market Head of Marketing and Communications Micaela Juarez said: “World Travel Market 2013 events programme saw a record attendance of more than 16,000.
“The introduction of a Wellness Tourism programme came from the findings of our post-event research, which showed participants would like more information on this fast-growing sector.
“I’m delighted to be able to announce Spafinder as our partner for this programme, which will bring together some of the sector’s most senior executives and latest research and trends.
“The programme will bring a new audience to World Travel Market, while also offering existing participants vital information to help grow their businesses.”
Speakers for the programme will be announced throughout the year.
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About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
More than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM, now in its 35th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
WTM 2013 generated more than £2 billion of travel industry contracts, revealed independent research by Fusion Communications.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a other portfolio’s of travel industry events including IBTM Events, the world’s leading showcases for the meetings and events industry and International Luxury Travel Market events.
In 2013, RE held more than 500 events in 40 countries bringing together more than six million people from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.
RTE is part of Reed Exhibitions.