The 11th edition of WTM Africa includes 742 exhibitors, including six new destinations: Zambia, the Netherlands, Qatar, Croatia, Sierra Leone and Sao Paulo.
The World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2025 began today and featured an extraordinary level of global engagement with industry experts from a record 96 countries. The event shows a significant rebound and expansion of tourism in Africa, evidenced by a noticeable increase in both the participation of both buyers and exhibitors.
Carol Weaving, managing director of RX Africa, highlighted the remarkable growth of the event in his first speech. “This year, we have representatives from 96 countries, making it the largest global travel market in Africa in the last 11 years. We have witnessed a 27% increase in buyers.
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The 11th edition of WTM Africa includes 742 exhibitors, including six new destinations: Zambia, the Netherlands, Qatar, Croatia, Sierra Leone and Sao Paulo. Additionally, the event welcomes 13 new buyer countries, including Peru, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Romania, Finland, Ireland and Kuwait.
Mayor James Foss, a member of the Economic Growth and Tourism Committee of Cape Town's Mayor's Committee, has been represented in “the best city in the world,” saying, “Cape Town has been recognized as the best city in the world in the 2025 timeout, moving forward from second place last year.”
In his speech, VOS presented a five-point strategy aimed at boosting Cape Town tourism, starting with the aim of securing additional flight routes. “Increasing the number of flights will increase the influx of visitors and then create more employment opportunities,” he said, referring to a recent discussion with Indian airlines about the establishment of direct flights between Cape Town and various Indian cities. A similar initiative is planned during an official trip to China later this year.
Additionally, his strategies include strengthening the city's cruise industry, promoting meetings and events, implementing innovative destination marketing, and investing in a wide range of attractions and experiences across a variety of geographical areas.
VOS emphasized that these initiatives are supported by investments in infrastructure resilience, including projects focused on water security, independent energy generation, improving public transport, increasing the presence of law enforcement agencies, and visa reform efforts designed to promote better access.
“One of the main obstacles to travel is accessibility, which is why we advocate for visa reforms with the aim of simplifying the traveller's process in consideration of South Africa, particularly Cape Town,” Vos added.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of tourism as a catalyst for economic growth as VOS said: “Tourism is just an industry. It is a transformative force for businesses and communities. Furthermore, tourism includes not only the destinations we explore, but the individuals we promote.”
WTM Africa 2025 presents an extensive agenda that includes responsible tourism awards, useful sessions at five venues, a travel technology exhibition, specialized events specializing in business tourism, ecotourism and tourism investment. The event received 38,559 booking requests, highlighting its serious business focus.
Weaving concluded her statement by highlighting the important human aspects of driving the success of African tourism. “The people of Africa are our biggest asset.”
