WTM (World Travel Market) London 2025, recently set new records for scale, attendance and commercial outcomes with more than 46,500 attendees, 5,500 pre-qualified buyers at an increase of 8% on 2025, and participants from 182 different countries[1]. The official theme, ‘Reimagining Travel in a Changing World’, reflected a sector that is evolving under economic pressure, the acceleration of technology, and changing traveller expectations.
This year, the Global Travel Report has predicted that international tourism will grow at around 3.5% annually to 2035, outpacing global economic growth and highlighting how demand for travel remains constant despite economic challenges[2]. Combined with an increased demand for meaningful travel with cultural depth and sustainability, WTM was a signal that the market is moving away from linear growth models towards a more fragmented structure, where digital convenience and human expertise have become parallel drivers of value.
One of the clearest signs that the industry is changing can be seen in the growing divide between commodity travel and the experiential segment. The travel commodity trend is defined by easy-to-build trips and the ability for travellers to research and book their holidays independently. It is driven by digital systems, automated choices and a price-driven mindset – travellers don’t need specialist guidance, and the value lies in price and convenience.
These commodity breaks are usually city explorers, popular beach destinations or high-volume routes where there is a lot of easily available information that travellers can use to design their own itineraries and travel plans. The segment is driven by digital systems that offer instant visibility into different travel options with relatively transparent pricing. Online platforms have strengthened their position in this space and at WTM, the sheer variety of solutions on display in the technology halls reflected the speed at which this part of the market is accelerating.
Experiential travel sits at the opposite end of this spectrum. Here, the sector is defined by depth of experiences rather than by volume and travel requires knowledge that can’t be standardised. Travellers in this segment want immersion and their decisions are guided by factors such as cultural authenticity, ecological integrity and the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the destinations they visit. This type of travel leans heavily on the human factor – on people who understand the destinations, the logistics and the nuances of environment, season, culture and community. It is where Tourvest places a priority, in creating experiences built on local knowledge and a deep understanding of traveller needs.
This type of travel usually takes place in regions where infrastructure is limited, and careful planning is essential across multi-layered itineraries that combine local partnerships, conservation-led activities and specialist guides. These journeys can’t be replicated by digital platforms because they rely on relationships built over time and on operational competence that extends beyond simple booking management. In Africa, these experiences are felt in gorilla trekking, cross-border safaris, remote island exploration and travel through regions where environmental sensitivity and cultural respect are central.
Africa is also strongly positioned in this space, but visibility remains a structural challenge. WTM made this contrast clear. Destinations with large marketing budgets dominated the most prominent halls while African exhibitors were placed on the lower levels where footfall was significantly less. This imbalance isn’t new, but the gap is widening because many African tourism authorities operate with limited budgets. The result is a global marketplace where attention is uneven, regardless of quality.
The response to this challenge isn’t to compete based on scale, but rather on distinctiveness. Africa’s competitive strength sits in its authenticity and its cultural depth, and, of course, its wildlife. These are qualities that can’t be replicated, which means that these benefits need to be turned into travel experiences that meet the demands of the experiential travel segment. And this means local partnerships, local connections, and the ability to operate in destinations where infrastructure is limited and planning needs innate expertise. At Tourvest, we stand by the belief that everything is local, bringing local support and understanding to each experience.
Interestingly, WTM also provided insight into how this can be achieved. Interest in non-traditional and complex destinations has grown with Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda and Angola attracting attention because they offer rare experiences. Travellers choosing these locations outside of the traditional circuit are looking for travel expertise and support to ensure their travel is remarkable.
Of course, technology will continue its growing influence, but not in replacing jobs or removing the need for travel expertise. Its immediate value will be felt in how it improves internal efficiencies and reduces errors, improves turnaround times and supports consultants with better data. The tech gives people space to focus on creative itineraries and meaningful, human connections.
Finally, sustainability remained a consistent trend this year. There is a growing need for destinations to manage seasonality and promote alternatives to high-impact peak travel, which is a challenging for many African destinations where seasonality is a functional reality. Wildlife patterns, climatic considerations and access routes determine travel timelines. However, the solution is to look outside traditional travel footprints to diversified ones across Southern, East and Indian Ocean Africa. They allow organisations to create year-round interest without forcing travellers into unsuitable seasonal travel.
Partnership networks, like those within Tourvest’s operational ecosystem, are central to Africa’s ability to grow in this environment. No single company can match the global consumer reach of large online platforms, so partners act as multipliers. They bring scale, trust and access to markets where direct marketing is either cost prohibitive or structurally limited, and this ensures that complex African destinations remain competitive even without the marketing budgets of larger economies.
Looking ahead, technology and AI will change the story, but they will give companies an edge they can use to create unique travel stories for the market.
Complexity will increasingly become a source of differentiation and, when these experiences are combined with authenticity and deep local understanding, they become extraordinary.
Africa doesn’t have to be left behind because the continent has exactly what it takes to step into these trends and expand its travel footprint and capabilities. And Tourvest is walking right beside these trends with local people, local expertise and extraordinary adventures created to meet the needs of modern travellers.
By Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest Destination Management
