World gathers in London as 40th WTM begins Monday

By Okorie UGURU

ALL is set for the opening of the 2019 World Tourism Market (WTM) at  Custom House, ExCeL, London, on Monday.  It is  the 40th edition of the fair with about  180 countries expected to participate.

But  Nigeria will not be participating officially this year.

About 5,000 exhibitors  and players in the travel and tourism industry across the globe have booked stands at the fair.  The organizers expect about 55,000 visitors.

Last year’s edition created meetings  resulting in around £3 billion worth of  contracts, according to the organizers.

Market reach was also expanded  through social networks, partnerships and media.

African countries are not left out in the WTM frenzy. Egypt, one of the continent’s leading destinations, is sponsoring visitor registration at this year’s WTM.

The exercise will be handled by the Egypt Tourism Authority.

The partnership comes a few  days after the British government lifted the flight restriction to the North African country’s resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The removal of the guidelines from the U will mean there will be a huge push for tourism to Egypt from Britain.

Read Also: Lifting economy through entrepreneurship, tourism

Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Dr. Rania Al-Mashat commended the declaration of the end of the ban saying:“We welcome the return of British tourists to Sharm el-Sheikh. This announcement is a renewal of the ongoing cooperation between both nations.

“This step is a testament to the continuous efforts exerted by the Egyptian government to ensure the safety and security of every visitor in all Egypt’s destinations, and in South Sinai in particular.”

Egypt has significantly invested in safety and security measures including CCTV, airport security, GPS on tour busses, and continually reviews and enhances these security steps.

As part of the country’s tourism initiative for 2020, Sphinx airport will charter flights to West Cairo to facilitate passengers’ journey to the new Grand Egyptian Museum and the ancient Pyramids. The Grand Egyptian Museum will officially open its doors in late 2020. It is  not only set to be the biggest museum in the world, but will exclusively host only ancient Egyptian pieces and will be the final resting place for Tutankhamun, treasures of the Golden Pharaoh exhibition.

The Tutankhamun exhibition will open  and will be in residence until Sunday 3 May 2020.  The exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and opens on the second day of the London Travel Week.