Njengomcimbi ohamba phambili emhlabeni wonke wemboni yezokuvakasha, i-WTM London iyakwazi ukuxhumanisa abathengi nabahlinzeki abavela kwamanye amabhizinisi okuvakasha abalulekile angaziwa kakhulu eYurophu. U-Peng Peng, umqondisi omkhulu wamathikithi endiza we-Tuniu.com, i-ejenti yesithathu yezokuvakasha enkulu kunazo zonke e-China, kanye no-Yogesh Mehta, iphini likamongameli wamahhotela we-via.com, inkundla yobuchwepheshe enika amandla ama-ejenti ezokuhamba angaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi angaba ngu-60,000 e-India, babebambe iqhaza okokuqala.
Okujwayelekile kufaka phakathi u-Roseanne Twigg, umhlaziyi wemikhiqizo ephezulu e-TripaDeal yase-Australia, oxhumene nabahlinzeki ngebhizinisi lakhe lokuhamba ngeqembu, elenziwe ngomsiki wengqephu. Uthe “[inethiwekhi yesivinini] ingivumela ukuthi ngibe nombono omuhle wokuthi ubani okhona, lokho abakunikezayo nokuthi bahlelani.
UMiroslav Mihajlovic, umphathi wemikhiqizo, uMtours, eSlovenia, omunye obambe iqhaza njalo, uthe:
“Ngihlala ngifika nabantu abambalwa engingathintwayo abahle engingabalandela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi” kuyilapho u-Prajakta Marwaha, umsunguli nomqondisi, i-Indian Journey, ethi “Bengilokhu ngihlangana nabaqhubi bezokuvakasha, ama-DMC, kanye namamnyuziyamu…ngihlele imihlangano eminingi futhi ngizoba nebhizinisi elihle”.
Business is particularly in focus on the opening day of WTM London, with many destinations taking the opportunity to update the market on 2016 and to look ahead. Elena Kountoura, tourism minister for Greece, said this year was in line to become its busiest ever year with more than 27 million international arrivals expected, including cruise.
U-Kountoura utshele isithangami sabezindaba ebesigcwele phama ukuthi iGreece izama ukuba yindawo yonyaka wonke, enamakhefu edolobha kanye nezindawo ezimbili zokushushuluza ezingaheha izivakashi ngaphandle kwesikhathi sayo esivamile.
I-India nayo ibheke ukubeka kabusha ukunikezwa kwayo kwezokuvakasha. UVinod Zutshi, uNobhala, uNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha e-India, uthe uhulumeni wakhe ubeke eqhulwini ezokuvakasha ngokutshala imali engqalasizinda yomphakathi ukuze kube lula ukutshalwa kwezimali kwezokuvakasha okuvela embonini ezimele.
Brexit remains a common theme across the seminar program, as the UK and global travel industry awaits the actual terms of the UK withdrawal from the EU. Aviation expert John Strickland told the Forecast Forum about a possible issue arising in terms of flying rights if the UK is not part of the EU Open Skies agreement – UK airline easyJet is allowed to fly within France and Spain while Ryanair can operate in the UK with an Irish airline operators certificate as a result of the EU Open Skies agreement.
Futhi esimisweni esihlukile, abaphathi ababili abakhulu bezindiza - uWillie Walsh, isikhulu esiphezulu se-International Airlines Group kanye nomongameli we-Emirates u-Tim Clark - baphakamise ukuthi imifelandawonye yezindiza ingase ibe yinto yesikhathi esidlule.
Walsh said: “I would question if [alliances] are around 10 years from now” with Clarke describing the oneworld, Star Alliance and Skyteam concepts as “anachronistic”.
Mayelana nokwandiswa kwe-Heathrow okuhlongozwayo, u-Walsh uthe: “Ayikho indlela kulo mhlaba engathethelela u-£17.6 billion ngendlela ezosetshenziswa ngayo.”
Kwenye indawo, impikiswano ethile nge-Brexit yayigxile enkululekweni yokuhamba kwabantu. U-Andrew Swaffield, oyiChief Executive, iMonarch Airlines, uthe: "Sidinga ukucaciseleka ngokuhamba ngokukhululeka kwabantu, futhi sikudinga lokho kucaciseleka ngokushesha okukhulu".
U-Terry Williamson, i-Chief Executive, i-JacTravel ubeke i-Brexit engqikithini: "Sengineminyaka engu-30 ngikulo mkhakha - lesi isihogo semboni eqinile, noma iyiphi inselele ephonswa kuyo."
Ukuqina kwemboni kugqanyiswe ngumbhali wezokuvakasha uDoug Langsky. Ngokubheka ukusesha kwamahhotela eParis, eBrussels nase-Orlando, wathola ukuthi kuthathe izinyanga ezimbili kuya kwezintathu ukuthi inzalo ibuyele emazingeni angaphambi kwesigameko futhi kwezinye izikhathi nje amasonto amathathu. "Sesiphelelwa amandla ngenxa yokwesaba… ukubuyela emuva kuyashesha," esho.
U-Lansky uphakamise ukuthi izindawo okuyiwa kuzo zidinga uhlelo lwezinhlekelele ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke le nkinga, nokuthi isu elilodwa eliwusizo ukwazi ukuthi yiziphi izimakethe zomthombo “ezinesibindi kakhulu” kanye nokunikela ngezinsiza zokumaketha kulezi zindawo.
Ithayimithebula ye-Brexit nayo ayaziwa futhi kunezinye izici zesikhathi eside imboni yezokuvakasha okudingeka izicabangele. I-Futurist uBrian Solis utshele ababehambele i-WTM Leaders Lunch ukuthi baqaphele “isizukulwane C” - abathengi abaphila “indlela yokuphila esebenzayo, yedijithali”. Enye inselelo evezwa yileli qembu ukuthi ayichazwanga ngeminyaka: “[Isizukulwane C] sibonisa ukuziphatha okufanayo okuthinta amaqembu obudala ahlukahlukene...Kudingeka uqonde ukuziphatha kwawo okuxhumene nokuthi kuphumela kanjani emhlabeni wangempela.”
Kwenye indawo, usuku lokuvula lwe-WTM London 2016 lwaba neNgqungquthela yokuqala ye-Global Sports Tourism yokuqala. Abaphumelele kubalwa iGlasgow, London kanye ne-USA.
I-WTM London umcimbi lapho imboni yezokuvakasha nezokuvakasha yenza amadili ayo ebhizinisi. Abathengi abavela ku-WTM Buyers' Club banomthwalo wemfanelo wokuthenga ohlanganisiwe wama- $22.6 wezigidigidi (£15.8bn) futhi basayine amadili emcimbini ongabiza u-$3.6 billion (£2.5bn).
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