World Travel Market has come to a close here in London and I have heaved a huge sigh of relief. As I told you two weeks ago, I attended the 4-day conference-cum-fair-cum-travel-wonderland for the first time this past week, and wow. It was a real eye-opener, in some good ways and some bad. First, and perhaps best, it was a wonderful reminder about how big and incredible our world is and how much of it there is to see. It was also a great reminder that the travel industry is alive and well and doing all it can (as far as I can see) to help people travel better, greener and more aware.

The WTM Floor. Photo by Megan Eaves
For me as a writer, it was also a tad frustrating. I come from a writer’s background, meaning I can be a little bit shy, reserved and, just generally fare better with the written word than the spoken one. And World Travel Market is all about networking, meeting people and generally being a gutsy good talker. Try sticking a timid, better-on-paper writer in a room with thousands upon thousands of easy-talking PRs and travel agents, and, well, the results can be mixed.
Whatever my personal experience, though, I certainly learned a few tips and tricks that I’d like to pass on to any bloggers or writers out there thinking of going to next year’s WTM. Read More »