WTM Africa 2025 opened in Cape Town on Wednesday with a record participation (Photos: Varsha Singh/India Outbound)
World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2025 opened today in Cape Town, South Africa, with unprecedented global participation, gathering industry professionals from a record 96 countries under the theme Ignite Africa. The event signals strong recovery and growth in African tourism, with significant increases in both buyer and exhibitor numbers.
In her opening address, Carol Weaving, Managing Director of RX Africa, which organises the event highlighted the event’s impressive growth.
“We have 96 countries represented this year, which is the biggest World Travel Market Africa in 11 years. We have a 27 pc increase in buyers this year and 82 pc of these are new to World Travel Market Africa, which is amazing for our exhibitors,” said Weaving.
The 11th edition of WTM Africa features 742 exhibitors, with first-time participation from six new destinations, namely Zambia, Netherlands, Qatar, Croatia, Sierra Leone and São Paulo in Brazil. The event has also attracted 13 new buyer countries, including Peru, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Thailand, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Romania, Finland, Ireland and Kuwait.
Vos highlighted the rising importance of India and China as source markets (Photo: India Outbound)
Alderman James Vos, Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth and Tourism, welcomed delegates to ‘the best city in the world’. “Cape Town was now ranked as the best city in the world by Time Out for 2025, moving up from the second place last year,” said Vos.
Vos said that Cape Town has emerged as a global travel hub, with 226 international flights weekly, connecting Cape Town to 31 destinations. In terms of cruise tourism, a total of 76 cruise ships are scheduled to dock in the South African city this season. Vos added that targetted marketing campaigns reached over 68 million people in India alone, with more than 130 million page impressions within just one month.
Vos also emphasised that for Cape Town in particular and South Africa as a whole source markets in Asia were increasingly important and hence there was a greater focus on mounting activities in countries like India and China and outlined key steps in tapping these markets.
“First up, landing more flights. The more flights, the more visitors, the more jobs. And that is why I have recently met with airlines in India to push for a direct flight between India and Cape Town. And later this year, we went to China to do the same, because more connections mean more business,’’ Vos said in his speech.
He also outlined the growth in cruise tourism arrivals and said that it was an important segment. “Next up is our cruise liners. Our cruise economy is booming, bringing travellers and crew who spend in our local restaurants, our shops and our attractions. Coming in at number three, more conferences and events. Tourism isn’t just about leisure. Business events like World Travel Market Africa are major economic drivers in our city. And then Cape Town, of course, continues to secure those global conferences that generate billions for our city’s economy,’’ added Vos.
Vos highlighted the special focus on India in terms of mounting marketing campaigns. “Number four on the list is clever marketing, and destination marketing that must convert interest into real bookings. So we don’t just wait for travellers to find us, we go out and we market Cape Town. Our digital marketing campaigns are reaching millions of people worldwide. In India, our campaign achieved a reach of just over 68 million and more than 130 million page impressions in just one month. And in China, we have launched a targeted promotion on the WeChat platform to attract high spending travellers to our shores. And then finally, more attractions and experiences, that geographic spread, because beyond the flights and the hotels are those experiences that make our destination unforgettable. And that is why we invest in tourism products, from cultural to adventure, and also taking into consideration religion, cultural beliefs and practices,’’ Vos said.
Vos and Weaving highlighted the importance of tourism as an economic driver, with Vos stating: “Tourism is more than just an industry. It is a game changer for businesses and communities. And tourism isn’t just about the places we visit. It is also about the people we empower,” he added.
According to the organisers, WTM Africa 2025 features a comprehensive programme including responsible tourism awards, content sessions across five theatres, travel tech showcases, and specialised events focused on business tourism, eco-tourism, and tourism investment. The event has generated 38,559 appointment requests, reflecting its serious business nature. “Africa’s people are our superpower,” said Weaving, emphasising the human element driving African tourism success.
The organisers say that as many as 82 pc of buyers are new to WTM Africa, indicating both strong outreach and expanding global interest, while media presence has seen a 28 pc increase.
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