Tourism Flanders is announced as premier partner at World Travel Market

Flanders has been confirmed as the Premier Partner at World Travel Market (WTM) in London for 2013 and 2014. This will ensure that Flanders will feature as a "guest region" at WTM for the next two years, at one of the most important tourism exhibitions in Europe.

Flemish Minister for Tourism, Geert Bourgeois said: "I am delighted with the exclusive co-operation agreement which has just been signed by Tourism Flanders and the organisers of WTM, Reed Exhibitions. This provides an ideal position to present "2014-2018 the Great War Centenary" to the attention of the travel industry. With this agreement we will also look forward to promoting a greater awareness of Flanders and Brussels as a tourism destination." 

More than 48,000 international tourism professionals visit WTM annually. WTM 2011 facilitated a massive £1,653 million in business deals for travel and tourism exhibitors over the four days. Furthermore, WTM is the most important trade fair in the world for English speaking markets and Commonwealth countries. 

Each year, WTM focuses on one specific country or region to promote its "Premier Partnership". Last year, Abu Dhabi had this opportunity.

"We are very proud to become the new Premier Partner at WTM for the next two editions. As Britain and the Commonwealth are the most important foreign target groups for the remembrance of The Great War Centenary, it is strategically very beneficial for Tourism Flanders to be able to deploy such a large promotional tool via this partnership, over the next couple of years at WTM," Bourgeonis added. 

Tourism Flanders will use its position as the Premier Partner primarily to bring "2014-2018, The Great War Centenary" to attention in its association with the international travel industry. There will be a particular focus on the English speaking markets and the Commonwealth countries to promote this project.  

The new partnership also provides a unique opportunity for Tourism Flanders to strategically brand itself at Excel during WTM in 2013 and 2014. Opportunities include the decoration and branding of several spaces at the Excel hall in line with its international marketing branding strategy. A clear emphasis on "2014-2018 the Great War Centenary" will be visible throughout. Examples include a "poppy pathway", created using the image of 51 square metres of imaged tiles from the main entrance hall to the main Flanders stand.  

Reed Travel Exhibitions Director World Travel Market, Simon Press said: "I am delighted to welcome Flanders as WTM's Premier Partner for the next two events in 2013 and 2014.  

WTM is the event where the industry conducts its business, making it ideal for Flanders to promote its Great War Centenary. All at WTM look forward to helping Flanders achieve its objectives over the next two years." 

London tourism rates plunge during Olympics

Olympic tourists head straight for the Games and avoid the capital's other attractions and shopping destinations, according to some London businesses.Photo: AFP
The London 2012 Olympics appears to be deterring tourists from the capital's centre after warnings of travel chaos and overpriced hotel rooms, according to key industry figures. Many businesses complain they are being sidelined as tourists make a beeline for the Olympic Games and avoid the capital's other attractions and shopping destinations, while non-sports fans opt to stay at home or delay their trips.
In the run-up to the Olympics, commuters and tourists alike were warned to avoid central London, with millions of athletes, support staff, media and spectators descending on the capital for the greatest show on earth.
The Games have long been heralded as a key boost to the recession-hit British economy. But tourist numbers have fallen "dramatically" since the Games began, according to industry body the European Tour Operators Association.
"London has approximately 300,000 foreign and 800,000 domestic visitors every day in August. These people have been told implicitly that they should stay away and they have done so," said ETOA chief executive Tom Jenkins.
He argued that many were simply following official travel advice from Transport for London, which runs the capital's roads and railways.
"The numbers are currently dramatically down on last year. How far down will be determined by how long Transport for London maintains the 'don't come into London' campaign," added Jenkins.
"But they have been replaced by approximately 500,000 Games ticket holders, many of whom are Londoners, all of whom are here because they've come to watch sport.
"They are not necessarily interested in London as a tourist destination. They are not here to shop, sightsee or dine out," he said.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, agreed that too many tourists have heeded the official warnings, leading him to compare central London streets to a "ghost town".
"Our business is down by about 20-40 percent depending on the time of day," McNamara said.
"Normally about 90 percent of our customers are Londoners but they've all left the city and haven't been replaced by tourists.
"I don't know where all these tourists are or how they're getting about, but London is like a ghost town."
Many holidaymakers are meanwhile delaying their trips to London until September, following the end of the Olympics and Paralympics.
"Compared with the same period last year, bookings for London are very substantially down, whereas bookings for all other European cities are significantly up -- as is London in September," said Angela Skelly, head of hotel room provider JacTravel.
Despite the poor anecdotal evidence, tourism chiefs remain upbeat that London can prosper from the Olympics.
"We have always recognised that the London 2012 Games would present challenges as well as opportunities," said Mark Di-Toro, spokesman for tourism body VisitBritain.
"Host cities and countries usually experience a dip in tourism in the year of the Olympics and it is our ambition to buck that trend."
He added: "Indications are that hotels in London are around 80-percent full during Games time."
The British government hopes to generate deals worth more than £1.0 billion ($1.54 billion, 1.2 billion euros) over the Olympics, with £13 billion more over the next two or three years. The Games are costing £9.3 billion to stage