In a world where travel can still seem like an exclusive club with selective entry, World Travel Market London sets the stage for a broader conversation. The 2025 conference will shine a powerful spotlight on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (DEAI) and the industry’s moral, social, and economic stake in getting it right.
On Wednesday, 5 November, the Orange Theatre at ExCeL London will become a forum for fresh ideas and frank debate. The packed DEAI summit promises to go well beyond the platitudes, examining how inclusivity can become a tangible, measurable pillar of success in global tourism.
Reclaiming inclusion – and the narrative
The summit begins with Reclaiming Inclusion, hosted by Uwern Jong, WTM London’s DEAI Adviser and co-founder of OutThere magazine. Jong, a long-time champion of authentic representation, will call to examine what inclusion truly means beyond marketing slogans and carefully staged stock photos.
That’s followed by BBC Travel presenter Rajan Datar, who leads A World Through Many Lenses, exploring how travel can reflect the mosaic of modern humanity rather than a narrow slice of it. “The future of travel,” Datar says, “is open, inclusive, and empowering, or it’s no future at all.”
Facing the political headwinds
Few sessions are likely to stir more debate than Everyone’s Welcome Or Are They?, a panel that dives headlong into the political rollback on DEAI policies seen in several countries. Expect a candid assessment of how travel companies can hold their ground and values when inclusivity becomes a political football.
Equally provocative will be More Than a Hashtag, examining the representation of racial diversity in travel media, marketing, and public relations. One panellist says, “Hashtags are easy; equity takes effort.”
The afternoon session, Not Just One Story, features Aalap Shah, an International Business Consultant for ELTA. Shah challenges the industry to see beyond “the most typically foregrounded traveller”, the cisgender, white, gay male — and recognise the full spectrum of queer traveller identities.
Destinations with heart – and business sense
There’s also substance for those who prefer balance sheets to buzzwords. Destinations with Heart will showcase how embracing underserved traveller segments and improving accessibility isn’t just altruistic — it’s profitable.
Among the speakers: Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Iceland’s Minister of Industries; Tolene van der Merwe, Director UK & Ireland for the Malta Tourism Authority; and Chiravadee Khunsub, Deputy Governor for International Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Each will discuss how targeted accessibility investments have boosted visitor satisfaction and community wellbeing, proving, if any were needed, that inclusion and economic success are not mutually exclusive.
Women leading the way in travel tech.
The day wraps up with Overcoming Adversity in Travel Tech, a rapid-fire Q&A led by two women at the forefront of the industry, Alka Carter-Manning, Chief Commercial Officer at Vox Group, and Maria von Foerster, CEO of RightRez. The discussion will spotlight how resilience and innovation are reshaping the travel technology landscape, especially for those fighting to be heard.
Beyond the main summit, DEAI-related events include Faith, Food, and Footprints, a deep dive into the growth of Halal travel, and the Women in Travel CIC Meet-Up, both of which reinforce the event’s practical, year-round commitment to inclusion.
Commitment beyond the conference
The inclusivity focus doesn’t end with the talk sessions. WTM London has pledged that 50% of all speakers across its official conference program will be from underrepresented groups, currently 47% and rising.
Attendees will also find inclusive facilities throughout the venue, including accessible bathrooms, multi-faith prayer rooms, and “reset rooms” designed for neurodivergent visitors. These are not small gestures; they’re tangible signals of progress in an industry often accused of saying the right thing while doing very little.
“Tourism can only be a force for good if it embraces everyone.”
Chris Carter-Chapman, WTM London Event Director, summed it up succinctly:
“Tourism can only be a force for good if it embraces everyone. We see time and again within the travel industry how DEAI is not only an ethical imperative but also makes great economic sense. I’m delighted we are again hosting an impressive range of speakers and topics for WTM London’s DEAI summit to ensure it proves both inspiring and useful.”
For more information, visit WTM London’s official site.
By Karuna Johnson – (c) 2025
Read Time: ~5 minutes
About the Author
Karuna Johnson has one of those rare careers that could only belong to someone who genuinely loves travel. A Thai national with dual citizenship, she’s as comfortable swapping stories over street food in Bangkok as she is discussing strategy in a Sydney boardroom.
Educated in Thailand and Australia, Karuna speaks several languages fluently, a skill that’s served her well across a career that’s taken her through the inner workings of three Destination Management Companies and a string of hotels. She’s done everything from sales to admin, always with the kind of quiet competence that keeps things moving while everyone else still finds the coffee.
Her travels have taken her far and wide across Asia, Europe, and the United States, yet she still finds joy in the details: the people, the culture, and the stories behind every journey.
She’s worldly, poised, and precisely the kind of voice Global Travel Media was made for.
