Covering the Inbound Tourism Industry Since 1996

WTF @ WTM Part II

November 14, 2017 by Tom Berrigan

WTF (Walking the Floor) at World Travel Market: The INBOUND Report’s intrepid publisher and editor-in-chief, Jake Steinman, spent a fair amount of time Walking the Floor (WTF) at last week’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London. Here are some additional photos from his meandering—as well as the WTF images from last week’s INBOUND for those who might have missed them.

Nashville brings the “A” Team as Deanna Ivy, chief marketing officer, takes advantage of the Brits obsession with music

You have to love British newspaper headlines

Irish presence at WTM was impossible to miss

Another elaborate $1 million plus tourist board booth at WTM

Noel Irwin Hentschel, CEO of AmericanTours International with Mark Crabb, chief sales officer at Sonoma County Tourism.

Nick Hentschel, executive vice president, AmericanTours International.

Art Jimenez, executive vice president, tourism, Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority

Jack Wert, executive director, Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB, has been telling operators that his destination was and is still in business following Hurricane Irma.

Yves Vrielnck, destination sales manager for the Florida Keys and Key West, was letting people know that they were still accepting tourists following Hurricane Irma. Key West was barely damaged at all by Irma.

Super Shuttle’s Blanca Espinosa, regional business development director; and Ken Testani senior vice president global marketing and partnerships, discuss the many forms of airport transportation alternatives to Uber.

Above and below: When it’s time to relax … Miller time begins at 4 o’clock at WTM. And at the California and Texas stands, it was wine and beer for one and all.

Left to right: Tara Hippensteel, director of Tour & Travel, North America, Hard Rock International; Liz Gilbert, director, national accounts & travel industry sales, Entertainment Cruises Inc.; and Jake Steinman, publisher and editor-in-chief of the INBOUND Report.

Billie Moser, vice president, international tourism, Travel Portland, shows off the suite for the destination, which has grown in importance for international tour operators.

Julie Katz, founder and president of Boston-based TourMappers North American, an increasingly important receptive operator specializing in Fly-Drives in beyond-the-gateway destinations.

One view of the crowded Brand USA soirée.

Another angle, another view of the Brand USA celebration.

A live band—just one of the entertainment options, which also included an opera singer, at the Brand USA reception

Faisal Sublaban, CEO, Bonotel Exclusive Travel.

Women at the Utah stand scooping up servings of trail mix. The containers emptied quickly.

Becky Johnson, senior global manager, Utah Office of Tourism, in front of some show-stopping images of the state.

Enzo Perretta, CEO of TeamAmerica, wondered how the consolidation of Hotelbeds will influence the receptive industry.

Who says WTM is an old-school trade show? Certainly not Las Vegas, with its other worldly Virtual Reality tour of the destination.

Judy Poyser (front, right), head of contracting, North Ameica, for Trailfinders, meets with cluster of representatives for Travel South states.

Stephan Forget, president and owner of Go West tours, surveys the situation at WTM. It’s been a flat year, he told us.

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