CAPE TOWN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- World Travel Market (WTM) Africa 2024 kicked off Wednesday in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, bringing together prominent global figures in the travel and tourism industry for pioneering discussions and business opportunities in the tourism sector.

The 10th edition of the leading travel and tourism exposition in Africa, which is being held from Wednesday to Friday at the Cape Town International Conference Center, highlights the region's tourism offerings through a series of shows, conferences, and awards ceremonies.

With more than 9,500 pre-scheduled meetings and exceedingly 7,000 delegates from over 100 countries, WTM Africa gathers tourism industry professionals, including exhibitors, buyers, and media, for three days of trade, networking, and deal-making.

As part of the Africa Travel Week 2024, running from April 7 to 12 in Cape Town, the event has a content program designed to promote industry knowledge, foster connections, and promote business growth, according to the organizers. It also provides airlines, cruise companies, hotels, and travel agents with an opportunity to showcase their high-end offerings to a global audience.

Megan De Jager, portfolio director for travel, tourism and marketing at RX Africa, which is one of the event's organizers, said WTM Africa also stands as a platform where attendees can generate sales leads, launch new products, and raise brand awareness.

"WTM Africa is the place where the B2B tourism companies' journey takes them into markets to conduct industry research and size up their competition while forging new relationships and maintaining current ones," De Jager said.

Since 2014, WTM Africa has hosted more than 18,000 exhibitors and created over 17,000 jobs, according to the official website of the City of Cape Town.

Alderman JP Smith, the City of Cape Town's mayoral committee member for safety and security, said WTM Africa is a highlight on the event calendar for Cape Town. He noted that WTM Africa has shown year-on-year growth in the number of visitors to the city for these events and their impact on the economy.

"We have demonstrated our commitment to this expansion by approving a three-year agreement to support Africa Travel Week until 2025. We are looking forward to welcoming all the visiting delegates to our city and sharing with them what Cape Town has to offer," he said.