The second day of the international tourism exhibition World Travel Market London 2025 highlighted three major themes shaping the future of tourism: inclusion and diversity, artificial intelligence, and sustainability. Discussions ranged from the role of humor in travel marketing to the relationship between technology and human experience.
Inclusion at the forefront
The main sessions of the DEAI Summit (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) brought forward both challenges and opportunities for a more inclusive tourism industry.
Joanna Reeve from Intrepid Travel spoke about the phenomenon of “inclusion fatigue” and political resistance to diversity initiatives. She noted, “There is definitely a backlash making things harder,” but emphasized that travel remains a means of bridging cultural differences.
Edgar Weggelaar from Queer Destinations pointed out that the recent anti-DEAI rhetoric in the United States has had negative consequences, citing an increase in racist and homophobic attacks. He warned that this “hurts U.S. tourism,” since travelers “choose destinations where they feel welcome and safe.” He also called for LGBTQ+ initiatives to extend beyond the Pride month.
Richard Thompson from Inclu Group underlined that the accelerated digitization during the pandemic excluded many people with disabilities. His company’s survey of 600 luxury hotels revealed that accessibility information is often lacking — “We are turning people with disabilities into gamblers, risking thousands of pounds without knowing what they’ll find,” he remarked. He described accessible tourism as “the last untapped market.”
Sadia Ramzan from the Muslim Women Travel Group noted that small adjustments, such as greeting Muslim travelers with a mocktail instead of sparkling wine, can make a big difference. She praised Japan for its halal standards and women-only spa options.
Sita Sahu from FUTURE& warned that destinations failing to implement genuine inclusion policies are “leaving money on the table,” predicting that by 2030, DEAI strategy will become a matter of governance rather than just HR or marketing.
National tourism boards from Thailand, Malta, and Iceland presented their own equality policies. Thailand is leveraging its new same-sex marriage law, while Malta collaborates with universities on inclusion studies. Iceland’s Minister of Tourism, Hanna Katr?n Fri?riksson, referred to the recent “Women’s Day Off”, commemorating the historic 1975 strike, as an example of mobilization for equality.
Artificial intelligence divides but gains ground
In the afternoon, the Media & Influencer Forum sessions focused on revenue diversification and the role of AI. Colin Carter from Weather2Travel argued that “AI cannot replace on-the-ground journalism,” while warning about its environmental footprint. Nevertheless, he said his team must now optimize content to appear correctly in AI-generated search results.
Conversely, Frederic Aouad from Stay22 joked, “No one has a passion for optimizing affiliate links — AI can do that for us.”
The debate peaked during the Technology Summit, where two teams argued whether AI is a “friend or foe” of tourism. While some, like Stephen Joyce from Protect Group, claimed it removes “the magic of human chaos,” the audience overwhelmingly sided with technology. Christian Watts from Magpie commented that this reflects “not where AI is today, but where it’s heading.”
New markets, new behaviors, new sustainability
In the geo-economics sessions, Shabib Al Maamari of Visit Oman and Mariano Dima of Civitatis presented their collaboration to engage Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking travelers. Al Maamari acknowledged there is a “fierce race to capture new markets,” with destinations investing directly in tourism enterprises within their target regions.
Sustainability remained a central topic. Iain Powell from Hurtigruten presented the “open village” initiative, connecting travelers with local communities, while Tricia Schers from Planeterra discussed partnerships with chains such as Iberostar and easyJet Holidays to develop community-based enterprises.
Jane McFadzean from Trip.com Group highlighted the “gap between intention and action” among travelers regarding sustainability and called for “clear and credible signals” to identify green tourism.
Humor and culture in travel marketing
Finally, the Marketing sessions offered inspiration with the participation of British comedian Maisie Adam, who stated, “You don’t always have to show Machu Picchu — you can make people laugh in an airport. Humor is a universal language of connection.”
Historian Bettany Hughes, in conversation with George Kipouros of Wanderlust, emphasized that cultural storytelling can enhance a destination’s appeal, revealing that her TV productions have reached 450 million viewers worldwide.
Meanwhile, the West Midlands Growth Company campaign, featuring Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, recorded a 2% rise in foreign visitor arrivals, proving that creative storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for destination promotion.
