The event experienced a 20% increase in commercial area and surpassed all previous benchmarks
Just over a week following its conclusion, on this date (April 26th), WTM Latin America 2024 officially unveils the event’s figures, confirming its status as the largest edition to date.
The technical program and the opportunity for networking and conducting business with stakeholders from all tourism segments attracted 29,247 industry professionals to the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo from April 15th to 17th. “This represents a total increase of 8.1% compared to 2023, surpassing the estimated growth by 3.1%,” reports Bianca Pizzolito, Head of the event. She further adds, “However, when we filter through the perspective of participation from members of the Buyers’ Club, Hosted Buyers, and Road Agents, the increase between the 2023 and 2024 editions rises to 21%.”
The total number of Hosted Buyers increased from 55 in 2023 to 75 this year, representing a growth of 36% among operators from other countries. The national operators invited to the Buyers Club in 2024 totaled 2,973, marking a 26% increase compared to the 2,362 from the previous year. Additionally, the presence of Travel Agents surged by 16%, rising from 6,947 in 2023 to 8,029 in 2024.
WTM’s tools aimed at optimizing the business environment within the pavilion during the three-day event, such as Connect Me and Emperia, also saw growth in 2024.
ConnectMe, a platform dedicated to scheduling meetings, recorded 6,903 meetings in 2024, marking a 9% increase compared to 2023. Provided to all exhibitors, Emperia enhances the event’s intelligence by enabling the registration of important visitor information. The number of leads captured with the tool amounted to 46,862, representing a 42% growth compared to the 32,959 leads in 2023.
“Emperia allows exhibitors to scan visitors’ badge QR codes and access data provided by visitors when filling out participation forms, such as geographical area of interest and business segment. This enables better business targeting both during and after the event,” concludes Bianca.
WTM Latin America already has confirmed dates and location for next year. The largest B2B gathering in the travel and tourism industry will take place from April 14th to 16th, 2025, at the Expo Center Norte.