Cutting Through the Noise at WTM 2026: Why You Need to Pick Your Bets
World Travel Market 2026 is almost upon us. From 3–5 November, travel marketers from around the globe will descend on ExCeL London for the biggest week on the industry calendar. It is a fantastic opportunity to connect, debate, and see where the travel sector is heading.
However, let’s be honest about trade shows at this scale: ExCeL can be overwhelming. With miles of carpet, endless stands, and packed schedules, it is remarkably easy to spend three days running around, collecting business cards, and leaving with very little actual strategic value.
At Llama, our advice on major trade shows is simple: you cannot see everyone, and if you try to, you will burn out. Winning at WTM isn't about hitting 30,000 steps on your fitness tracker; it’s about picking your bets and being completely focused on what actually matters to your business.
Kickstarting WTM: The 5th Telegraph x Llama Marketing Huddle
Before the main show floor opens on Tuesday morning, we are starting WTM week on Monday, 2 November, with our fifth Travel Marketing Huddle, hosted alongside The Telegraph Media Group at their Victoria offices in London.
Titled "Global Travel Leaders Networking @ WTM 2026," this invitation-only executive briefing gives senior travel chiefs and destination marketers a quiet space away from the main floor noise for real, honest conversation.
I have the pleasure of moderating two brilliant keynote sessions:
Leah Chandler (CMO, Brand USA): Exploring how to build a unified USA master brand while protecting the distinct identities of 50 individual states, and how data-driven market selection guides global investment.
Patricia Yates (CEO, VisitBritain): Unpacking the "dual engine" of tourism—balancing high-yield international visitors with domestic holidaymakers, moving tourists beyond major gateway cities, and converting screen culture into real travel bookings.
It will be a fantastic session full of practical, experience-based insights right when marketers need them most.
Why Destination Strategy Matters More Than Ever
While WTM covers the entire travel ecosystem, Andrew and I will be spending our week in London laser-focused on destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and tourist boards.
Why? Because destination marketing has hit a real turning point. Shifting consumer sentiment, late booking windows, and new AI search tools mean that generic "sun and scenery" ads simply don't work anymore. Destinations are competing in a crowded market, and blending into the background is an expensive mistake.
Tourist boards don't need another generic digital campaign; they need sharp, clear brand positioning that defines what makes them genuinely different, respects local communities, and drives sustainable, year-round travel. That is exactly where Llama’s brand strategy comes in.
How to Navigate WTM 2026
If you are finalizing your WTM plans, here is our simple advice:
Set clear goals early: Choose two or three specific strategic outcomes that will actually move your business forward in 2027.
Prioritise quality over quantity: Five meaningful, unhurried conversations with the right decision-makers will always beat twenty rushed chats behind a noisy display stand.
Give yourself space to think: Build buffer time into your schedule. The best strategic breakthroughs usually happen in quiet fringe events, networking huddles, and informal post-show catch-ups.
WTM 2026 is going to be a great week for our industry. If you are a destination leader or travel marketer looking for honest, grounded brand strategy, Andrew and I would love to connect while we are in London. Let’s cut through the noise and make it count.
