The prestigious summit, recognised as the world’s most important annual gathering of tourism ministers was held at Excel London from 5th to 7th November 2024.
It serves and creates a brief window of real opportunity to attend different conferences, woo potential investors and sell one’s country to the world.
The Gambian delegation comprising different stakeholders including senior officials of the Gambia Tourism Board, TTAG, GHA, Tour Operators was led by the Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Honourable Abdoullahi Jobe.
WTM, she added, is a place for people who refuse to go back to the status quo, “A trusted home designed to help you to make plans, fix issues, diversify your networks, and make life-changing, business building relationships.”
At the 18th year, this three-day summit kicked off on Tuesday. The Gambia stand was attracted to many people, especially most influential figures from different continents including Europe, Asia, America even Africa and lots of Arab countries that visited to discuss tourism potential and investments in The Gambia.
Minister Jobe and other stakeholders used the medium to sell the country’s tourism package, culture, heritage, different events and activities that tourists can enjoy in the country such bird watching, numerous festivals, heritage sites, carnivals, Gambia gastronomy and the cherished River Gambia,
Having an insight of the event, the opening press conference where the official WTM Global Travel Report was unveiled was held on Monday Morning, followed by a session for trade on Monday afternoon.
The report gave voice to the changing needs of travellers and uncovered behaviours and new trends for 2024 and beyond. Using an expansive data-bank covering more than 185 countries worldwide as destinations and as origin markets, covering all major bilateral tourism flows in terms of visits, nights and spending, as well as unique industry insights, the report also gave a comprehensive outlook on tourism.
On Tuesday, participants joined different speakers and influencers to share their knowledge, inspiration and experiences, related to the top trends in travel, tourism and beyond by staying informed and embracing these insights.
Besides, a traditional Gambian kora player was at the Gambia stand to entertain visitors throughout the summit.
