Published on
November 8, 2025
By: Tuhin Sarkar
Florit Shoihet
World Travel Market London (WTM) 2025 wrapped up today (Thursday) after a three-day run (4-6 November) at ExCeL London, uniting the global travel community for business, insights and partnerships. WTM, one of the industry’s most influential marketplaces, drew more than 45,000 travel professionals, with representation from over 180 countries and 4,000 exhibitors.
The World Travel Market (WTM) London 2025 concluded today (Thursday) after a successful three-day event held from November 4 to 6 at ExCeL London. This influential global gathering brought together travel professionals, innovators, and key players from across the industry, fostering valuable business connections, sharing key insights, and forging new partnerships.
WTM 2025 attracted over 45,000 travel professionals from more than 180 countries, highlighting its prominence as one of the world’s largest and most impactful travel trade events. The exhibition floor featured over 4,000 exhibitors showcasing a diverse range of travel products, services, and destinations, offering an exceptional platform for networking and collaboration.
Throughout the event, attendees were given access to the latest industry trends, emerging markets, and cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of travel. The event also included numerous presentations, panel discussions, and seminars, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of critical issues such as sustainable tourism, technology integration, and evolving consumer demands.
As the global travel industry continues to recover and grow, WTM London remains a pivotal occasion for professionals to exchange ideas and explore new business opportunities. The 2025 edition lived up to its reputation as a powerful marketplace, leaving attendees with new strategies, insights, and partnerships to drive their businesses forward in a rapidly changing landscape.
From giant swimming whales on aquarium-like screens at the Dominican Republic stand to colourful musical performances by Moroccan and Ghanaian musicians, WTM offered visitors a range of immersive experiences. Country stands also brought flavours from home, with French wine tastings and refreshing Italian gelato.
This year’s conference programme ran under the theme “Reimagining Travel in a Changing World,” framing discussions on policy shifts, traveller behaviour and sector resilience.
The apparent easing of tensions in the Middle East after a dramatic two years in the region was one example of change directly impacting global tourism. Israel, a WTM participant for nearly four decades, returned this year after a two-year pause due to the multi-front conflict that began in October 2023. With a ceasefire now in place, WTM’s Geo-Economics Summit featured Palestinian and Israeli peace activists Aziz Abu Sarah and Magen Inon, who highlighted how tourism can bring communities together and build understanding.
Another theme discussed among delegations was shifting source markets. Reflecting the rise of Chinese outbound travel, Alhasan Aldabbagh of the Saudi Tourism Authority said China is now the Kingdom’s number one source market. Elsewhere, the decline in Russian travel since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022 has reshaped demand. Raimondo Mandis of Sardinia’s Ministry of Tourism told TTW that the island has been targeting North American markets in response.
A headline moment was the 19th Ministers’ Summit, co-hosted with UN Tourism and WTTC, where leaders called for smarter, more inclusive investment models and stronger skills development to spread tourism’s benefits and build long-term capacity.
Sustainability was also in the spotlight. At WTM’s Sustainability Conference, independent climate-action expert Jeremy Smith spoke about reframing tourism’s role within the climate emergency. In an interview with TTW, Malawi’s Director of Tourism, Noah Nansongole, also highlighted the efforts behind ‘green tourism’. “We are promoting sustainable tourism; we want our forests and natural resources to be still intact, so people come and enjoy Africa as it was in the origin.”
Another buzzy section was the technology area, where tourism-tech companies promoted solutions ranging from AI-generated marketing platforms to payment apps that ease travel. While AI platforms still consume significant energy, in interviews with TTW, companies’ representatives expressed hope that, in the long term, their platforms will not only support the tourism industry but also become more energy-efficient and sustainable.
