GEM11 is the annual members-only event organized by the European Tour Operators Association at which tour operator buyers sit down for a series of pre-scheduled meetings with a wide range of suppliers and trade contacts, ranging from hotels and specialist retailers to visitor attractions and tourist boards.

ETOA’s executive director, Tom Jenkins, said: “This is great news, as numbers will continue to rise. Our peak booking period is in the last three weeks before our registration deadline, which is on October 21st.

“This is the second year that GEM will be held at Wembley Stadium Conference Centre.

“But it has been running for nearly 20 years.

“Its success lies in its ability to provide suppliers an extraordinary concentration of tour operators. We will have over 230 tour operator buyers taking tables, far more than any delegate can meet in one day.

“More important than size is the quality of the workshop. We provide an environment where members can have new ideas when discussing business.

“This springs from new contacts and from new angles in relationships with established partners.

“It is particularly heartening that over 20 per cent of those coming are doing so for the first time.

“The industry is changing. That our membership is changing and attending GEM is a reflection of what is happening in the market. It is also an endorsement of the association.”

Established ETOA tour operator members attending include: British Airways Holidays, Cox&Kings, Expedia, Globus/Cosmos Gullivers, JacTravel, Kuoni, Miki, Tauck World Discovery, Tourico, Tracoin, and Travel Plaza. New members include Groupon, Indian Compass, and Travellanda.