WTM 2018: the best keynotes speeches you might have missed

We at FindYourItaly are always excited to meet new extremely high-level professionals from all over the world like you. WTM is such a great event to do so (and go even further) as it always uncovers gem opportunities for the travel industry professionals.

During this year edition our team had the pleasure to attend many juicy keynotes speeches covering all the major topics that the travel industry is addressing (or preparing to address soon).

From the Travel Megatrends to Social Media to Responsible Tourism, we are happy to share with you a selection of the best keynote speeches from WTM we have attended and we hope you didn’t miss.

# Social Media

1. Keynote: Instagram & travel

With 1 billion active users, Instagram plays a great role in tourism but it’s not just about sharing your latest travel picture. According to moderator Mark Frary, Co-founder of Travel Perspective, and speaker Neasa Bannon, EMEA Travel lead at Instagram/Facebook, the travel market is evolving and so is the platform: brand and travel influencers are working hard to climb the online social ladder and seize their profit opportunity.

# Content Marketing

2. Quality, not quantity: using great content to sell the holiday dream

Online content in one of the latest strategies applied to the travel industry but the overall approach hasn’t always be stressing on quality instead of quantity. In this keynote speech, many professionals gathered together to share with us their experience about content marketing, that has been applied to their travel companies, as well as content providers, influencers and content agencies on how they are converting great stories into bookings. And given the new Google’s algorithm update, the conclusion is one and only: content marketing should focus on quality, not quantity.

# Responsible Tourism

3.Communicating Responsible Tourism

What are the biggest challenges professionals are facing when drafting, executing, leading and driving results from promoting responsible tourism? During this keynote speech, we had a great insight on effectiveness of a campaign in this specific market as well as the most interesting trends that the niche is experiencing at the moment.

This event featured many great professionals such as James Thornton, CEO at Intrepid Group, and Ian Corbett, Sustainable Business Manager at TUI UK & IE as well as Justin Francis, Co-founder of FindYourItaly’s partner Responsible Travel together with J, and Debbie Hindle, Managing Director at Four Travel.

4.Creating Shared Value

Creating shared value means doing business bearing in mind the consequences as well as the benefits we should offer to our community and neighbourhood.

In this keynote, the speakers underlined how crucial going beyond CSR with companies is. In fact, today CSR is even more interesting and profitable for companies: the experience economy keeps rising, enhancing and giving an increasingly wider room to the “local” experience, that applies to all the stakeholders involved in the destination.

# Travel Market Trends

5.Keeping Ahead of Megatrends Shaping Travel

Every professional in the travel industry awaits: what’s going to happen in 2019? Euromonitor International’s Travel team presents the best of the megatrends that will shape the travel industry, both positively and negatively. It’s been a very inspiring speech that covered the main topics going from a market perspective to consumer behaviour, to the shopping experience and the rising market of the experience.

6.Food Tourism 2025: What You Need to Know Now

Food and beverage tourism is an incredibly hectic market that is predicted to grow as well as the importance of the role of unique food and drinks in the unique travel experience. The experts have discussed not just the most important numbers of the market but addressed also critical issues such as packaging, preserving the food culture.

This year edition of WTM is been great! Find out more on what we have been up to on our Social Media Channels:

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