WTM Africa 2022 kick-starts recovery of Africa's travel and tourism industry, exceeding 2019 numbers

Organisers have hailed WTM Africa 2022, held 11-13 April in Cape Town, South Africa, as “a huge success”, reporting that preliminary numbers indicated the 7,000 pre-scheduled appointments for 2022 exceeded the number of appointments booked at the show in 2019. WTM Africa 2022 appointments (both online and in person) increased 7% compared to 2019, while the number of visitors remained on par with 2019 figures, with organisers putting a figure of over 6,000 on their, so far, unaudited numbers. “The 2022 edition of WTM Africa and Africa Travel Week was the first inbound and outbound travel trade show of this magnitude held on the African continent since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2022. The undeniable success of the show, as reflected in the preliminary numbers, is a clear indication that the industry was in desperate need of a face-to-face platform to reconnect, conclude deals and kickstart the recovery of the industry,” said Megan Oberholzer, portfolio director: travel, tourism, and creative industries, RX Africa. WTM Africa featured 187 speakers in 63 content sessions which highlighted important topics such as inclusivity, diversity, travel technology and investment. Thirty-two countries were represented, including 20 African countries and seven out of the nine South African provinces were present at the show. The vast majority (87%) of buyers were new buyers who had never been to Africa Travel Week before, according to RX Africa, with buyers from established source markets as well as new source markets like Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. WTM Africa 2023 returns 3-5 April. Photo credit: Orange Orbit.