The World Travel Market London 04.11. – 07.11., 2024.

From November 5th to 7th, representatives from the Baltic Nature Tourism project under the tourism association “Lauku Ceļotājs” were active participants at the “World Travel Market London” tourism exhibition, which attracted visitors and exhibitors from all over the world, with attendance exceeding 40,000.

“Baltic Country Holidays” was represented at the Latvian stand “Latvia.travel,” alongside companies such as “airBaltic,” “Impro Travel,” “Baltic Travel Group,” “Radisson Blu Latvija,” “Liepaja travel,” “Balticvision,” “Con-ex Latvia Tours group,” and “Via Hansa & Borealis.”

Representatives from “Baltic Country Holidays” introduced conference attendees to nature tourism offerings in Latvia and Estonia, meeting with more than 50 other tourism businesses from across the globe. Baltic Nature Tourism project partners from Estonia also participated, with a focus on wildlife tours, which are particularly popular in the UK market.

During the event, the Latvian delegation met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United Kingdom, Atis Lots, as well as Baltic Nature Tourism project partners in the UK, Paul Wagner and Andy Fairburn from the “Nordic Tourism Collective.”

The first day of the event, November 5th, attracted the largest number of visitors. The Latvian and Lithuanian stands were placed side by side with a unified visual identity, and on the evening of November 5th, the two countries hosted a joint event, “Baltic Drinks,” featuring a business card raffle where winners could receive valuable prizes, including gift cards from “airBaltic,” “Liepaja travel,” “Radisson Blu,” and the Baltic Nature Tourism project partners. Kerry Elliott from “Travelling Dreams” won a trip for two to Latvia from the Baltic Nature Tourism partners.

On Wednesday, November 6th, more than 50 prominent political figures in the tourism industry participated in the “18th Ministers’ Summit,” organised in collaboration with the UN Tourism Organization and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). This year’s summit theme was “The Potential of Emerging Technologies for Good in Tourism.” Policymakers discussed the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in shaping the future of travel and hospitality, also considering the ethical implications of these technologies.

On Thursday, November 7th, the Marketing Summit took place, with a detailed analysis of the evolution of travel marketing in the digital age. Panel discussions covered how digital tools drive changes in marketing techniques, emphasising the importance of storytelling throughout the traveller’s journey.

The conference facilitated new partnerships with tour operators from the UK, strengthened collaboration between the Latvian delegation and various companies, and introduced exhibition participants to nature tourism routes and long-distance trails—Coastal trail and Forest trail—in Latvia.

The event is part of the campaign for the promotion of Baltic nature tourism in the project “Baltic Nature Tourism – Exporting Baltic Nature Tourism to UK (CB0100030)”, which is implemented with the support of the Central Baltic Program of the European Union and the European Regional Development Fund for 2021-2027. #balticnaturetourism