WTM Africa

What WTM Africa does

WTM Africa is an annual B2B travel and tourism trade exhibition held in Cape Town, South Africa, and operated by Reed Exhibitions Limited as part of the World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio within RX Global, itself a division of RELX Group plc. Founded in 2014, the event brings together tour operators, destination management companies, tourism boards, accommodation providers, transport companies, travel technology vendors, and travel management companies for in-person business matchmaking, networking, and industry programming. The product offering is structured around a core annual exhibition supported by a diversified set of co-located sub-products, including IBTM Africa (MICE), the Africa Tourism Investment Conference, EQUAL Africa (DEI program), Travel Tech track, Responsible Tourism Africa Conference, China Ready Workshop, Travel Leaders Forum, and an Exhibitor Directory for year-round attendee engagement. Revenue is generated through exhibitor fees, sponsorship packages, attendee registration, and associated event services, with sales handled via dedicated enquiry forms consistent with enterprise B2B motion. The event is anchored at the Cape Town International Convention Centre under a venue partnership that includes joint sustainability initiatives, and is promoted through a multi-channel marketing stack spanning the WTM Global Hub blog, WTM TV, industry reports, social media, and earned media. The WTM portfolio, of which WTM Africa is a regional node, collectively facilitates over $7bn in attendee deals annually and includes sister events in London, Dubai, São Paulo, Riyadh, and India.

Name

WTM Africa

Legal name

Reed Exhibitions Limited

Website

https://wtm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WTM Africa is an annual B2B travel and tourism trade exhibition held in Cape Town, South Africa, serving tour operators, tourism boards, accommodation providers, and travel industry professionals across Africa and globally. It operates within the WTM portfolio owned by Reed Exhibitions Limited, an RX Global / RELX Group division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Trade Exhibitions & Conferences

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Events-Integrated Corporate Travel (TMCs with Meetings/Groups) (THACAAAH)

Keywords

• Travel trade exhibition
• B2B tourism events
• Travel industry networking
• Tourism investment conferences
• Exhibition trade shows

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Event Services: WTM Africa generates revenue through exhibitor fees, sponsorship packages, attendee registration, and associated event services. Companies and destinations pay to exhibit, sponsor, and participate in the travel trade show.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WTM Africa is an annual B2B travel and tourism trade exhibition held in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together travel buyers, tour operators, tourism boards, destination management companies, and travel technology suppliers to network, conduct business, and explore African tourism opportunities. The event features a main exhibition floor alongside co-located conferences and programmes including IBTM Africa, Africa Tourism Investment Conference, Responsible Tourism Conference, EQUAL Africa, Travel Tech, China Ready Workshop, and Travel Leaders Forum. The portfolio is operated by Reed Exhibitions Limited (RX Global), part of the broader WTM global travel trade events brand.

Product overview

WTM Africa is a B2B travel and tourism trade show event that operates as part of the broader WTM (World Travel Market) portfolio. The offering is structured as an annual in-person exhibition event with multiple co-located programs and specialized tracks. The core event brings together travel professionals under one roof in Cape Town, supported by specialized sub-products including IBTM Africa (business events), the Africa Tourism Investment Conference, EQUAL Africa (DEI initiatives), Travel Tech (technology showcase), Responsible Tourism Africa Conference, China Ready Workshop, Travel Leaders Forum, and a Conference Programme with multiple sessions. The event also includes an Exhibitor Directory for attendee networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Africa Tourism Investment Conference: Conference focused on tourism investment opportunities in Africa.
• IBTM Africa
• EQUAL Africa
• Travel Tech
• Responsible Tourism Africa Conference
• Responsible Tourism Awards
• Travel Leaders Forum

Products and services

• WTM Africa (Main Exhibition) The flagship annual B2B travel and tourism trade exhibition held in Cape Town, where African and international travel suppliers, tourism boards, DMCs, airlines, hotels, and travel technology providers exhibit to a global audience of hosted and trade buyers.
• IBTM Africa A co-located events programme dedicated to the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) segment of the African travel industry, connecting MICE suppliers with international event planners and corporate buyers.
• Africa Tourism Investment Conference A dedicated conference programme focused on tourism investment opportunities across Africa, connecting investors, developers, governments, and hospitality operators.
• Responsible Tourism Conference A conference programme covering responsible and sustainable tourism practices, aimed at tourism boards, operators, and policy stakeholders.
• EQUAL Africa A programme dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the African travel and tourism industry, featuring dedicated sessions, networking, and recognition.
• Travel Tech A dedicated showcase area for travel technology suppliers, platforms, and solution providers serving the African travel trade.
• China Ready Workshop A workshop programme designed to help African tourism suppliers become ready to serve Chinese outbound travellers, covering market entry, cultural, and operational requirements.
• Travel Leaders Forum An invitation-style forum for senior travel industry leaders to discuss strategy, trends, and the future of African and global tourism.

Quantifiable outcome

• $7bn+ worth of deals facilitated annually across WTM events

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CTICC serves as the official venue partner for WTM Africa. The Cape Town International Convention Centre is Africa's premier exhibition and convention centre located in the heart of Cape Town. WTM Africa works closely with the venue on sustainability initiatives to reduce environmental impact and carbon footprint.
• 2027 Event Partners and SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWTM Africa has dedicated event partners and sponsors for the 2027 edition, supporting the delivery of the exhibition and associated programming.
• 2027 Association PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partners collaborate with WTM Africa to deliver content programming, industry representation, and professional networking opportunities.
• Media PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partners support coverage and promotion of WTM Africa events, providing marketing and communications support to reach the travel industry audience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• South African Tourism & Travel Exchange (SAT TE): Africa's leading B2B travel trade event organized by South African Tourism, focused on African tourism promotion. SAT TE competes directly with WTM Africa for the same destination marketing and African travel supplier exhibitor base in the Southern African market.
• IBTM World: Global MICE industry exhibition organized annually in Barcelona by RX Global, sharing the parent company with WTM Africa. IBTM World serves the same meetings industry buyer/supplier community targeted by WTM Africa's IBTM Africa sub-event.
• FITUR: Annual international tourism trade fair held in Madrid, organized by IFEMA. FITUR attracts global tourism professionals, exhibitors, and destination marketers on a similar scale and role as WTM Africa within the global travel events calendar.
• World Travel Market London: The flagship WTM portfolio event held annually at ExCeL London. Operated by the same parent (RX Global/RELX) as WTM Africa, with an overlapping exhibitor and buyer base and identical B2B travel trade show organizer business model.
• IMEX Frankfurt: Leading global trade show for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE) industry, organized by IMEX Group. Highly comparable to the IBTM Africa sub-program of WTM Africa as it serves the same MICE buyer and supplier ecosystem.
• ITB Berlin: The world's largest travel trade show, organized annually in Berlin by Messe Berlin. ITB Berlin operates as an industry-specific B2B trade show organizer for global travel and tourism, the same fundamental business model and customer segments as WTM Africa.
• Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa (BTL): Annual international travel and tourism trade fair organized by FIL in Lisbon, Portugal. BTL serves European and global tourism exhibitors and buyers through a comparable B2B trade show format targeting tour operators, DMCs, and tourism boards similar to WTM Africa.
• Arabian Travel Market (ATM): A sister WTM portfolio event organized by Reed Exhibitions for the Middle East travel market. ATM serves the same B2B travel trade show organizer role for Middle East and African exhibitors, with comparable attendee base and exhibitor dynamics.

Regional players

• PATA Travel Mart: Asia-Pacific focused B2B travel trade event organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association. PATA Travel Mart operates with the same trade show organizer model and buyer-supplier matchmaking focus as WTM Africa, but is regionally focused on Asia-Pacific rather than Africa.
• ITB Asia: Asia edition of ITB Berlin, held annually in Singapore. Organizes a comparable B2B travel trade exhibition focused on the Asia-Pacific region, with similar exhibitor categories and buyer-supplier matchmaking services as WTM Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WTM_Africa
• Facebookfacebook.com/wtmafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wtm-africa
• Instagraminstagram.com/wtm_africa/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WTM Africa