World Travel Market (WTM) London is a leading global event held annually in London. WTM offers a unique opportunity to showcase tourism potential to a global market. It provides a platform for the global travel industry to meet, network, negotiate, and conduct business. As the world’s leading travel and trade exhibition, WTM attracts 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions, along with more than 51,000 industry-specific visitors. For Gilgit-Baltistan, the event offers an excellent opportunity to promote its natural beauty, unmatched adventure tourism products, eco-tourism, and unique cultural and indigenous products to a global audience.
As per Gilgit-Baltistan Rules of Business 2009, the Tourism Department is responsible for promoting destinations and marketing tourism products. To achieve its goals, the department participates in national and international exhibitions and marts to promote high-end tourism in the region.
The Tourism Department of Gilgit-Baltistan has been participating in this event since 2014. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the influx of international tourists, particularly adventure tourists from Europe, generating thousands of dollars for the region. However, there remains considerable potential to generate even more revenue by promoting Gilgit-Baltistan at such forums. This year, the Tourism Department of Gilgit-Baltistan has collected nearly Rs. 220 million by the second quarter of the financial year, against a target of Rs. 270 million for the financial year 2024-25.
This year, the event was held in London from November 5-7, 2024. Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) took a leading role in establishing the Pakistan Pavilion at WTM 2024 on a larger scale, involving both Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K). An official delegation from Gilgit-Baltistan, headed by the Minister of Tourism Gilgit-Baltistan, Mr. Ghulam Muhammad, participated in the event. Additionally, four designated tour operators from the Gilgit-Baltistan Association of Tour Operators and the Baltistan Association of Adventure Tour Operators were part of the delegation as co-exhibitors; the core objective was to support the private sector in Gilgit-Baltistan and promote the region's destinations through B2B and B2C engagements at WTM 2024.
14 November, 2024
12:24:31 PM
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