WTM scraps corkage

WORLD Travel Market venue ExCeL has backed down on plans for a “corkage” charge to exhibitors offering indigenous food and drink on their stands.

The move, after discussions with Reed Travel Exhibitions, has been heralded as a victory by the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives, which was angered by the proposal (Travel Weekly May 24).

Reed Travel Exhibitions group exhibition director Fiona Jeffery said the move was possible because other catering costs, such as a new supermarket at ExCeL, had reduced overall.

“ANTOR presented the case that they are using food as a way of promoting their destination, not for catering,” she said.

“We have listened to ANTOR and tried to find a workable solution for everyone.”

But ANTOR has vowed to carry on campaigning about other issues that affect their member exhibitors at WTM.

ANTOR executive secretary Peter Lilley hailed the move as a “major victory for ANTOR”, saying members regarded the serving of indigenous foods, such as Dutch cheese or Belgian beer, as a significant part of their promotion.

But he added: “This is going to be the first of a number of issues. For many years they have had nobody questioning what they do.

“If you look carefully at the rules and regulations it does seem all the responsibilities are on the exhibitors and all the rights are on the side of Reed. We want to look carefully at that.”

He also warned some members dealing in the dollar that haven’t hedged currency are facing higher costs because of the strong pound.

Caribbean Tourism Organisation director of marketing Julia Hendry said dealing in dollars against a strong pound was nothing new.

“WTM organisers have held their prices, which is helpful,” she said.