THE GREAT REUNION

Good news from the ILTM Cannes 2021

For a long time, we wondered whether the ILTM luxury travel trade fair would even be able to take place live. But when the doors of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes opened on December 6, all industry professionals were soon floating on cloud nine for over 5 days. The global flagship of the ILTM portfolio brought together luxury travel experts from 73 countries with 1300 luxury travel providers under one roof for its 20th birthday. Our impression: the safety precautions, including mandatory masks in the halls, worked well and thanks to the widespread optimism, we almost felt like we were back in pre-pandemic times.

Some of the participants had to cancel their participation due to new entry regulations, but although appointments had to be canceled, this live ILTM was a signal for the awakening of an industry that has been waiting a very long time to finally network "face to face" again. ILTM Portfolio Director Alison Gilmore summed up the industry feeling very aptly: "The love of travel is still as real as ever. So many real human connections with so much emotion."
Another piece of good news: luxury hotels and destinations have used the last two years to creatively implement their guests' increased need for sustainability and meaningful travel. Major luxury hospitality leaders such as Marriott, Hyatt, Aman and Six Senses announced an astonishing number of new openings and newly developed brands. Marketing cooperations such as Small Luxury Hotels, Preferred Hotels and the Global Hotel Alliance drew attention to themselves with their "Green Portfolios" or presented GHA Discovery, a completely new loyalty program with high attraction potential. We were particularly excited by the stand of Saudi Arabia, which is opening up the country to international travelers for the first time with several spectacular and sustainable tourism projects, making the last blank spot on the tourism map accessible with five fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites. So there is plenty of inspiration for the 2022 tourism year. We learned at the ILTM industry trade fair that the journey continues - with or despite coronavirus. A good feeling for the entire industry and all travel aficionados.
Stay informed: You can read some of the ILTM news now in the current issue of CC VIP Magazine, and more in the upcoming issues of our print and digital media.


General information about ILTM at:
www.iltm.com