WTM Latin America 2025 officially opened in São Paulo

Recognized as the main B2B tourism and travel event in Latin America, WTM Latin America was officially opened this Monday (14/4) at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo (SP) with the mix that has made it famous during the last 11 editions: offering high-level knowledge, generating business and qualified networking.

In front of a packed audience of authorities and professionals from different areas and countries, Bianca Pizzolitto, Event Leader of WTM Latin America, led the opening ceremony, highlighting the intersection between innovation and humanization that permeates this edition. “Technologies evolve and transform, but what makes us human, such as the desire to belong, to be moved, to discover new things, is irreplaceable,” he argued.

To prove this premise, she opened her speech with a reflection created and spoken by artificial intelligence based on reflections she shared with the platform, emphasizing that technology can and should be used to promote ideas. “We can talk about artificial intelligence, technology, new tools, and businesses that happen in just a few clicks. But at the center of it all, there are still people, stories, and the human desire to connect, to exchange, to move toward others. It is beautiful to realize that, even in an event that is increasingly technological, the essence of WTM Latin America remains in creating encounters, promoting connections, encouraging experience and experimentation, and celebrating diversity and inclusion,” she added.

On his second trip to Brazil, Jonathan Heastie, portfolio director at RX Global, celebrated the Latin American way of being, an attribute he highlighted as a great advantage in a constantly changing world. “Leading WTM events around the world gives me a privileged position to see some of the trends that are emerging in the global travel and tourism industry. I can safely say that few regions have the energy, creativity and ability to reinvent themselves as Latin America,” he said.

Claudio Della Nina, RX’s director for Latin America, highlighted the importance of WTM Latin America. “As part of a global portfolio that connects people and businesses in more than 350 events in 25 countries and 42 sectors of the economy, WTM Latin America has a strategic and very special role within RX. We are talking about an industry that, in addition to economic exchanges and its technical and technological role, moves dreams, generates opportunities and has a real impact on people’s lives,” he emphasized.

After the speeches by the authorities, Milton Cunha hosted a talk show with Angelina Basílio, Claudia Alexandre and Solange Bichara about Carnival and technology. Cunha opened the conversation by recounting the origins of samba schools. “Samba is a cultural value of the Brazilian people. In Rio de Janeiro in 1900, the people from the outskirts, newly freed blacks and people from the Northeast returning from the Paraguayan War, left to their own devices, were struggling to find a place in the world. These people, without money for leisure activities in the city center, stayed in their shacks and created their own entertainment. Thus was born the batuque and the so-called recreational associations of samba schools.”

Next, the teacher and writer Claudia Alexandre, a scholar of samba and Afro culture, spoke. For her, the samba school is a technology for black people. “The samba school is not just a place for entertainment, it is a place for survival, with many ethnic groups that have come together to give new meaning to life,” she said.
The president of Rosas de Ouro, current champion of the São Paulo Carnival, Angelina Basílio, emphasized the use of technology in favor of the parades. “Technology is part of our floats, which allowed us to see them in advance with 360° projections, including measurements and details.”

Solange Bichara, president of Mocidade Alegre, reinforced the technology discourse by showing those present the innovations of her school and other examples from sister schools in São Paulo and Rio. “Technology is part of our preparation, whether to test the effect of the lights in advance and visual effects, because a lit car in a warehouse, which is a darker place, is one thing, on the avenue the light dims, so we adjust everything beforehand,” she concluded. Everyone was unanimous in emphasizing the importance of the community combined with technology, a mix that converges with the theme of the edition. “The samba school is a human tool to make life more beautiful,” Milton pointed out.

Premieres and numbers

Stands from leading destinations and companies from around the world offer visitors the opportunity to explore the latest trends, search for new products and expand their network of contacts. In terms of size, WTM Latin America 2025 saw an 11% increase in exhibition area and attendance is expected to grow by at least 8% compared to the previous year.

New this year is the Experience Zone, an area with immersive experiences designed to spark emotional connections with visitors. The new area occupies a strategic position in the pavilion and brings together distinct activations, with highlights including a sensory installation celebrating the five continents – complete with typical aromas, regional sounds and iconic images from each region – and a themed parade led by United Parks with characters that refer to the rainforest.

“It is a pleasure to be in the new Experience Zone presenting our new Wild Oasis at Jungala area, at Bush Gardens Tampa Bay, which will open at the end of May as an immersive space for the whole family with a theme focused on the fauna of Central and South America, including rescued animals, which will be housed in a sanctuary”, explains Leonardo Fortes - MKT and sales manager at United Parks.

The State Secretariat of Culture and Tourism of Minas Gerais installed a SPA in the pavilion to promote its potential for wellness tourism. To celebrate its 80 years of operation, TAP Air Portugal is holding a workshop to customize badge lanyards, strengthening visitors' emotional memories of the brand. The Ânima group, a reference in higher education in the country, promotes a 360º image experience, inviting visitors to enter an audiovisual capsule.

Another launch that marked the first day of WTM Latin America was the Accessible Passport, a free application created by journalist and writer Jessica Paula that mapped 40 points of interest in the city of São Paulo, in partnership with SPTuris. “When we think about accessibility, we are not just talking about people with physical disabilities, but about all people with reduced mobility, such as the elderly, pregnant women and even people with a broken foot,” she argues.

Megatrends and awards

In the field of training, the content on offer is one of the fair's major attractions and takes place simultaneously in the three spaces dedicated to conferences – Technology & Innovation Theater, Trends Theater and Transformation Theater – with careful curation and speakers who bring to light the most urgent and transformative debates in tourism.

The first highlight in this regard was the launch of Feel Brazil, a platform created by Embratur in partnership with Sebrae that mapped 100 experiences of micro-enterprises in the 27 Federation Units to propose the promotion of an authentic and diverse country. “We inaugurated the Brazil of the future, so that everyone can access it in a standardized and organized way in Brazil and abroad”, said Bruno Reis, Embratur’s Director of International Marketing, Business and Sustainability.

Highlighting the mapping and curation work, he emphasized that tourists will be able to access and purchase the experiences. “For the first time, we are promoting the experience, but also investing in business intelligence work to reach international operators, so that there are commercial relations between microentrepreneurs and the international market,” he celebrated.

Another important moment was the debate on the megatrends that will shape Latin American tourism in 2025 and beyond. Led by Aleix Rodríguez Brunsoms, Director of Strategy at Skift Advisory, with participation from Andrés Diaz Silva, Director at Procolombia; Santiago Granda, Undersecretary of Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism Ecuador, and Gonçalo Hall, CEO, Nomadx, the debate highlighted the growing relevance of fronts such as event tourism (sports, natural and entertainment) and purpose-driven travel, among others.

Regarding the future of work in tourism and the fear of the role that Artificial Intelligence will play, Alexandre Cordeiro, technology director at Tech Travel Hub, stated: The future of travel has already begun and it is driven by intelligence. “Artificial intelligence does not replace humans - it amplifies them. It frees us from operations so that we can perform other, more intelligent tasks. It is not about resisting or being afraid of AI, but rather about learning to fly with it”, he said.

The program also included the award ceremony for the third edition of the Afrotourism Award, created by Guia Negro, sponsored by Embratur and the Mato Grosso do Sul Tourism Foundation (Fundtur-MS). Bruno Wendling, CEO of Fundtur-MS, celebrated the initiative and took the opportunity to launch the first Isto É Mato Grosso do Sul Afrotourism Guide. “Moments like these make us reflect on the role of tourism as a vector for inclusion, a positive agenda, and reaffirmation,” he said.

Tânia Neres, coordinator of Diversity, Afrotourism and Indigenous Peoples at Embratur, highlighted the leading role of Afroentrepreneurs. “It is very important that we are here, investing in awards like this, so that you can, each day, improve and empower yourselves in what you do,” she said.

The awards were given in 10 categories and the winners were:

1. Best National Destination: Rio de Janeiro/RJ
2. Best International Destination: Colombia
3. Afrotourism Partner Company: Sebrae
4. Best Afrotourism Content: Leandro Gonçalves/Preto Viajante
5. Best Attraction or Experience: Muhcab - Museum of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture
6. Best Experience outside the Rio-São Paulo-Salvador Axis: Julia Madeira/Rotas Afro
7. Best Afroentrepreneur Enterprise: Embaixada Preta
8. Best Afrotourism Professional: Thais Rosa/Conectando Territórios
9. Best Afotourism Company: Diáspora.Black
10. Black Guide Highlight: São Luís/MA

“Being on this stage to participate in the awards ceremony is a privilege. It’s one of those moments that reminds me why we believe in the transformative power of tourism. The award is much more than just recognition: it’s an act of affirmation, a space for visibility and proof that the tourism we want to build needs to increasingly include, represent and give voice to all stories,” concluded Bianca.

The program ended with a party sponsored by the State Secretariat of Tourism of Sergipe and Orinter Tour & Travel, featuring a special show by Mestrinho, winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Roots Music Album in Portuguese.

Source: WTM Latin America.