Viewpoint

A market without visitors?

Andrew EdePalma07/08/2020 01:01

The World Travel Market in London is three months away, but the way things are going, it would take a great optimist to believe that it will be well attended. The organisers, Reed Exhibitions, have all manner of Covid measures for the event at the ExCel, but it isn’t really their measures which matter; it’s whether people will be able to get there or want to get there.

Aware that there may be some issues, a separate and virtual World Travel Market is to be scheduled for the week after the main event. This virtual happening will be for conferences as opposed to the exhibition. The organisation is therefore a “hybrid” of personal and remote attendance, an approach which Meliá are adopting for their conferences/exhibitions business.

As things currently stand, there won’t be any stands for the Balearics. Nor will there be the usual delegations of politicians heading off to London for their photo opportunities. Important travel and tourism markets provide a whole range of politicians with a chance to shine: from regional presidents to tourism councillors representing small municipalities. The quarantine requirement will deter them all from going. This won’t be any great loss, except to their egos.

There again, attendance by all and sundry from the islands would mean rather more than it normally does. It would show that things have improved; it would inspire confidence for next year’s tourism. For once, all those photos would be welcomed. But will there be any?