Forget 'all around the world in eighty days'... at the World Travel Market, you get to see the world in one day. Held every November at the colossal ExCel (think that's the right number of capital letters) in London, the WTM is a chance for tour operators to set up stalls under their country's area, and schmooze with all sorts of people in the travel industry...as well as pick up heaps of freebies. Some were better than others...mine ranged from leaflets to Chinese silk scarves. Not bad for wandering around and chatting about travel all day- though sadly, I did end up leaving them somewhere...
 |
| Just a glimpse into the WTM madness... |
Highlights of the day probably included the huge hug I got from a very sprightly 73 year old Iranian tour operator, and the free Serbian brandy that we sipped before the Nepal Embassy evening. The whole day was awesome though, in the literal sense of the word...to be honest, I was pretty overwhelmed by the number of people and stalls, but David- the Travel the Unknown director who invited me to the event- made the place a little more focused with his arranged interviews.
I loved meeting fellow travel writers like Isabelle Conway and Tracey Davies, although I may have been a little more exhausting to meet, asking them tons of questions about how they got into that profession whilst drinking brandy at the Serbian stand drinks reception, and enjoying the authentic cuisine at the Nepal embassy evening. Speaking of that embassy, what a beautiful building- made all the more magical by the fact it's hidden dow a wide tree-lined avenue off Notting Hill Gate. Heading there really topped off a fantastic day- I think what I said to my mum afterwards sums it up, as cheesy as it may sound.
'Today, I realised that I am pursuing the right direction...travel writing is exactly what I want to do with my life.'
No comments:
Post a Comment