Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced the launch of World Travel Market Africa, as part of the new Africa Travel Week that will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 28th April – 3rd May 2014 and sees WTM Africa co-locate alongside fellow Reed Travel Exhibitions’ events IBTM Africa and ILTM Africa. 
WTM Africa is a two-day event that will be held in Cape Town’s International Convention Centre on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd May. It will attract exhibitors from all categories of the leisure travel industry within sub-Sahara Africa as well as North African destinations, aligning itself with sister events WTM, WTM Latin America, Arabian Travel Market and International French Travel Market Top Resa.
Africa’s tourism industry was 8.7% of the continent’s GDP in 2011 at $164 billion, making it the fourth largest sector and employing 19 million people (8% of total jobs), according to research by World Travel and Tourism Council. The WTTC predicts growth of 4.8% over the next 10 years, growing at practically the same rate as the overall African economy and making it the fourth fastest growing sector in the continent.
WTM Africa follows on from the launch event of WTM Latin America in São Paulo this April.
“Reed Travel Exhibitions has been exploring opportunities in Africa for sometime and the success of our first launch event, ILTM Africa, has given us the platform to now introduce two more of our global industry brands to create Africa Travel Week and make it the leading global event for the continent’s travel industry,” said Managing Director, Richard Mortimore.
“WTM Africa gives the African inbound and outbound travel industry the perfect shop window to heighten its already growing profile in the global tourism industry. WTM Africa, as part of Africa Travel Week, will be the region’s leading global marketplace to conduct business, negotiate deals and sign the contracts.”
Francois Neethling, President of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, said that the organisation is encouraged by this new initiative. “We are excited that a huge player like Reed is seeing enough potential in South Africa to have a presence here and to invest. This project will certainly bring fresh energy into the industry, new contacts and new options in the marketing space. It will give members of the private sector the opportunity to choose the marketing platforms that work for them in terms of return of investment. It is a feather in the cap of South Africa as a destination.”
Dates for Africa Travel Week events are:
1. ILTM Africa: April 28th – 30th
2. IBTM Africa: April 28th – 30th
WTM Africa: May 2nd – 3rd
