Attendance at this year’s Word Travel Market London was up 22% this year with 43,727 people taking part in last week’s three-day travel trade show.

The event welcomed 1,976 representatives of the world’s media (up 31% on 2022) and hosted 4,560 qualified buyers.

The number of exhibitors rose by 23% year on year – up to 3,875 – and the show was 5.3% larger than the pre-pandemic event in 2019.

Over 70 conference sessions took place from major brands such as Hilton, TUI and Virgin Atlantic on three new stages named Discover, Elevate and Innovate.

Some 29,077 pre-booked meetings took place, with some important deals concluded.

Important deals signed included an agreement between Jet2 and WTM’s premier partner, the Moroccan National Tourism Office to help drive tourism growth in the country, and a tourism partnership between Brazil and South Africa.

The event finished with a speech from BBC documentary maker Louis Theroux, who reflected on the value of cultural interactions around the world.

WTM London Exhibition Director Juliette Losardo said: “We’re thrilled to see delegate numbers rise by more than a fifth on last year. It is a really encouraging reflection of the confidence and optimism in travel and tourism.

“The challenges we all face were debated at many sessions but, despite these issues, there was a very positive mood among visitors and exhibitors.

“I’m delighted that our innovations over the three days have helped improve the visitors’ experience.

“These figures confirm that WTM London is the best place for executives in our sector to network, find out about the latest trends and seal deals that will help travel and tourism flourish in 2024 and beyond.”

Next year’s WTM London will run from Tuesday 5 – Thursday 7 November 2024.