Plett Tourism Attends WTM Africa 2025
From April 9–11, 2025, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) hosted World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2025 under the dynamic theme “Ignite Africa.” This premier event attracted tourism professionals from across the globe, marking a significant milestone for Africa’s travel and tourism sector.
Plett Tourism’s CEO Patty Butterworth and Junior Marketing & Public Relations Consultant, Porche Saayman, attended the event alongside other local key stakeholders. The stakeholders included Crags Country Lodge, Emily Moon River Lodge, Offshore Adventures, Idinga Tours (SMME Mentorship Programme) and Bitou Municipal Representatives Andile Mbali and Wandisile Sebezo.
Record-Breaking Attendance and Global Representation
WTM Africa 2025 witnessed a remarkable turnout, building upon the momentum of the previous year. The 2024 edition had already set a high benchmark with a 53% increase in attendance compared to 2023 and representation from 88 countries worldwide. The 2025 event continued this upward trajectory, drawing even more participants, including a number of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and industry newcomers.
Sharing a stand with the Garden Route District Municipality’s tourism body, Garden Route & Klein Karoo, Plett Tourism and other Local Tourism Offices (LTO’s) and participating hospitality business shared three days of promoting the region, the towns and individual products and services represented at the stand.
“There’s a special energy in the air heading into WTM Africa 2025 — it’s where the heartbeat of African travel meets global opportunity, and every connection sparks new possibilities,” comments Patty Butterworth, CEO Plett Tourism.
Bitou Municipal Officials also attended WTM this year, “The experience of WTM Africa was phenomenal. I was thrilled by the “Brain Box” . It was lovely to see business stalls from Plettenberg Bay amongst Africa’s best.”commented the newly appointed Tourism Officer, Mr Mbali from Bitou Municipality.
Mr Sebezo, LED Officer at Bitou Municipality said: “Trade shows are important in the travel and tourism industry, they offer tour operators and LTO’s alike a unique experience and platform to network, close new deals and explore further opportunities. I think Plett Tourism has done exceptionally well over the years in making sure that Plett has a strong presence at these trade shows, especially WTM. It was good for us Bitou Municipality representatives to tag along and see first hand the work Plett Tourism has embarked on over the years so as to appreciate the value these trade shows bring, because often as municipalities we take these for granted not realizing the great innings we get from them”.
Diverse Participation from Tour Operators
While specific country breakdowns for 2025 are not detailed, the previous year’s participation from 88 countries underscores the event’s international reach. This representation facilitated a rich exchange of ideas and fostered cross-border collaborations.
The Plett Tourism Team was focused on some of the more traditional markets of Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom, but also strategized and engaged with operators from the United States, South America and France.
“While we have seen an increase in meeting requests and engagements from the South American, UAE and East African Markets, some Tour Operators from New Zealand and Azerbaijan have also come to the show, so we might see more emerging markets in future. South African based Tour Operators are becoming increasingly visible at WTM, which signifies a boost in the tourism industry, meaning we have increased connections that fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, potentially leading to new business opportunities within the sector.”commented Porche Saayman, junior Marketing & Public Relations Manager Plett Tourism.
Highlights and Innovations
WTM Africa 2025 introduced several new features and continued to emphasize key themes:
- Africa Tourism Investment Conference: focused on investment opportunities within Africa’s tourism real estate and other industry segments .
- Aviation Conference: addressed pressing challenges and opportunities in the aviation sector, a critical component of tourism infrastructure.
- Youth Development Initiatives: featured a dedicated section aimed at career opportunities and skills development for young adults in tourism, highlighting emerging African leaders.
- Responsible Tourism Conference: brought together industry leaders and policymakers to discuss sustainable tourism practices.
- Interactive ‘Brain Box’ Sessions: provided attendees with practical skills and knowledge sharing opportunities, covering topics like sustainable aviation, AI in tourism, and next-generation marketing.
A key highlight for Plett Tourism was the inclusion of their SMME WTM Mentorship candidate – Idinga Tours. As a licensed township tour operator, Plett Tourism invited the ladies, Vuyokazi Kitzi and Victoria Rowe, to attend WTM Africa with Plett Tourism. The Mentorship candidate selected each year is guided through the process of attending WTM Africa – this generally includes all preparations for the event (presentation of marketing material, travel arrangements, exhibition pointers) and the introduction to key tour operators, aligned industry products and key stakeholders to encourage growth and ideas going forward.
“WTM provided Idinga Tours with a platform to showcase our unique township tours, connect with industry professionals, and explore potential partnerships. We’re optimistic about the business opportunities that will arise from this experience.”: said Victoria Rowe from Idinga Tours.For more information and updates on upcoming events, visit www.wtm.com/africa.
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