It’s All Good At WTM London

Optimism was high as World Travel Market London kicked off today, with show organizers predicting that a hefty chunk of anticipated global growth will be fueled by more than $5 billion in business deals sealed by 51,500 industry pros attending almost one million faces-to-face meetings during the three-day show.

Press Today’s Mike Dunbar is at the show and reports that an industry survey of more than 1,600 WTM stakeholders found that three-quarters of all respondents expect growth in 2018 with almost 20% looking for “significant growth.”

Meanwhile, the latest Global Travel Forecast shows that global airfares are expected to rise 3.5% in 2018, while hotel prices will be 3.7% higher, reflecting a stronger global economy and increased demand, according to Kurt Ekert, CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which sponsored the survey.