World Travel Market is urging exhibitors to follow new green guidelines to reduce waste at this year’s show.
Organisers of the UK’s largest travel trade show, which runs at ExCeL from November 12-15, say the moves are just a start to make the event more environmentally friendly.
Exhibitors, ranging from tourist boards to hoteliers and tour operators, will be issued with colour-coded bags to separate their waste into paper, glass, plastics and food waste to go an on-site recycling centre. Most food waste generated at the show will go to a wormery, the first of its kind in the UK.
Exhibitors are also being encouraged to reduce the amount of printed material they bring to the show and to provide media kits on memory sticks.
WTM chairwomman Fiona Jeffery said: “Our objective is to reduce waste to the totally unavoidable by using products which can be reused or recycled.”
Exhibitors are being advised to avoid using tropical hardwoods for furniture and display fittings, unless they come from a sustainable, managed sources.
WTM has focused on responsible tourism for the past 13 years. This year it is launching World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday November 14.
Meanwhile, exhibitors who have news stories and wish to talk to Travel Weekly reporters at the show need to fill in an interview request form by the end of this week. Forms can be downloaded from the Travel Weekly homepage.