World Travel Market 2012 will generate a record £1.9 billion in tourism industry deals - an impressive 13 per cent increase on WTM 2011.

Independent research of World Travel Market’s exhibitors revealed WTM 2012 will be responsible either through contracts signed at the event or from negotiations with Meridian Club members which will lead to deals before WTM 2013.

WTM 2011 generated £1.65 billion in business deals, either on the exhibition floor or in the 12 months that followed, which was a 16 per cent increase on WTM 2010’s £1.4 billion.

The increase in business generated by WTM 2012 can, in part, be accredited to the enhanced Speed Networking programme for exhibitors and Meridian Club buyers to start, continue and conclude business negotiations.

WTM 2012 saw the traditional first morning session before the exhibition opened and the new Thursday Speed Networking sessions, aimed at facilitating post WTM business deals.

Furthermore, the key first day of WTM 2012 saw 7,992 exhibitor invitations attend, according to unaudited figures.

These visitors are the people exhibitors have cited they want to conduct business with.

The figure compares to 7,614 on the first day of WTM 2011, which was 14 per cent up on the year before.

Reed Travel Exhibitions director World Travel Market Simon Press said: “World Travel Market 2012 has seen, and will lead to, a phenomenal amount of travel and tourism industry business being agreed.

“The expanded Speed Networking programme played an important role in the success of WTM 2012 for both exhibitors and Meridian Club members, offering both stakeholders increased opportunities to meet new contacts, sign contracts and conclude deals.”