World Travel Market London 2016 was the most successful ever with a joint-record attendance of 51,500 and the highest number of exhibitor invitees and buyers in the event’s 37 year history.

The new-look three-day event with extended opening hours from 10am – 7pm was phenomenally well received by the global travel industry with 51,444  senior industry executives in attendance – a 4% increase on last year, reveals unaudited figures. The increase takes total participant numbers back to the level of 2014 – a record for the event which launched in 1980.

Furthermore, the key benchmark of exhibitor invitees and WTM Buyers’ Club members in attendance were also at record levels.

Exhibitor invitees – senior industry executives invited by exhibitors on the first day of WTM London to discuss business deals – were up 9% to 14,140.

WTM Buyers’ Club is the leading business club for senior travel industry decision makers with direct purchasing responsibility. The number of pre-qualified buyers from the WTM Buyers’ Club that attended the event stood at 9,714 – a 6% increase on WTM London 2015.

Total visitor numbers (excluding press, ministers, ministers’ aides and students) stood at 31,951 – a 5% increase on WTM London 2015.

More than 865,500 on-stand connections took place over the three days of WTM London 2016 (Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 November) leading to more than £2.5 billion in industry deals being negotiated and signed.

Furthermore, more than 3,000 (3,034) of the world’s media were in attendance – the highest number for more than ten years – making the WTM International Press Centre the largest recurring press operation in the UK. The WTM International Press Centre was moved to the exhibitor floor for the first time to put the media at the heart of the event.

World Travel Market London, Senior Director, Simon Press, said: “WTM London has grown at an unprecedented rate in recent years making it the event where the industry conducts its business.

“More than £2.5 billion in industry contracts were agreed at WTM London 2016 with more than 9,700 buyers conducting 865,500 meetings with 5,000 exhibitors.

“The record number of participants, exhibitor invitees and WTM Buyers’ Club members is testament to the success of the new-look three-day WTM London and demonstrates all the key decision-makers and those with purchasing responsibility attend WTM London.”

Audited figures of WTM London 2016 will be available in the New Year.

WTM London 2017 will take place at ExCeL, London between Monday 6 – Wednesday 8 November.