Javier Pérez Palencia, Director of WTE Miami, discusses the show’s rapid growth, its expanding international reach and why travel advisors, technology and meaningful business connections are at the heart of its 2026 edition.

How has WTE Miami evolved in recent years, and where do you see the event today within the wider travel industry?
WTE Miami has evolved significantly since its first edition. What began as an international travel trade show in Miami has developed into a broader business platform connecting destinations, tourism organizations, suppliers, travel advisors, tour operators and industry leaders from the United States and overseas.

One of the most important developments has been the increasing focus on the quality of the business taking place at the show. We are placing much more emphasis on qualified buyers, pre-scheduled meetings, stronger partnerships and opportunities that can generate business beyond the two days of the event.

Miami is also a natural meeting point between North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the rest of the world, and we believe WTE Miami is particularly well positioned to take advantage of that role within the international travel industry.

With the experience and leadership of Fairfest, organizer of Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) and its sister event TTF, and with a track record of over 35 years in the travel trade show industry, WTE Miami is now entering a new stage of growth. WTE Miami is expanding significantly in scale, international participation, buyer attendance and business opportunities, strengthening its position as an important B2B travel and tourism event in the United States.

Ultimately, success for us is about meaningful business and meaningful relationships.

What conversations do you expect to dominate the show floor this year?
I think many of the conversations will center on how the travel industry is changing and how companies and travel professionals need to adapt.

Technology and AI will obviously be important, particularly how they can help improve efficiency and reduce time-consuming administrative work, while allowing travel professionals to spend more time with their customers and more time building relationships.

At the same time, we expect a lot of discussion around new destinations, air connectivity, changing traveler behavior, experiential travel and the continued importance of personal relationships in our industry.

How important is education alongside networking and business meetings at WTE Miami?
They complement each other. The primary objective of WTE Miami is business: meeting the right people, developing relationships and creating opportunities. But education is also very important because it helps our attendees understand where the industry is going and gives them ideas that they can apply to their own businesses.

This year we have been very conscious of keeping the conference program focused. We want relevant discussions with experienced industry leaders addressing issues that truly matter to our audience.

The educational component should enhance the business experience, not compete with it.

Are there any new features, partnerships or developments at this year’s edition that you are particularly excited about?
We are significantly strengthening the Hosted Buyer Program and creating more opportunities for structured one-to-one meetings between exhibitors and qualified buyers.

We are also expanding our partnerships with tourism organizations, industry associations and institutional partners, while increasing the international presence of destinations and companies participating in the event.

For 2026, we have doubled the number of exhibitors, created a stronger conference program and increased participation from the US travel advisor community.

The experience and international reach of Fairfest have helped us take WTE Miami to another level. What excites me most is seeing all these elements coming together: exhibitors, buyers, travel advisors, destinations, education, meetings and networking.

What would you like people attending WTE Miami for the first time to understand about the event?
I would tell them not to think of WTE Miami simply as an exhibition. The real value is in the people you can meet and the conversations you can have. It is an event where you can discover destinations and products, meet decision-makers, develop partnerships, attend educational sessions and create relationships that can continue long after the show.

My advice to a first-time attendee would be to plan in advance, use the meeting opportunities available and set aside time to walk the exhibition floor and meet people outside of their scheduled appointments. Sometimes the most valuable connection is one you did not expect to make.

This year’s theme is “The Travel Advisor of the Future.” How important is the travel advisor community to the identity and future growth of WTE Miami?
Travel advisors are extremely important to WTE Miami and will continue to be central to the future development of the event.

Despite all the technological changes taking place, professional advice, trust and personal relationships remain fundamental to travel.

Technology and AI will undoubtedly change the way advisors work, but I believe they can also create significant opportunities. If technology can reduce the amount of time advisors spend on administrative and back-end tasks, it allows them to dedicate more time to understanding their clients, providing personalized recommendations and building stronger relationships.

That is why “The Travel Advisor of the Future” is such a relevant theme for us this year. We want to explore how the profession is evolving and, at the same time, strengthen the connection between travel advisors and destinations, hotels, airlines, cruise companies, tourism organizations and other suppliers participating at WTE Miami.

What do you hope exhibitors, buyers and visitors will get out of this year’s WTE Miami?
For exhibitors, we want WTE Miami to generate qualified contacts, productive meetings and new business opportunities.

For buyers and travel advisors, we want them to discover new destinations, products and partners that can help them grow their businesses and better serve their clients.

And for all attendees, we want WTE Miami to be a place to exchange ideas, learn about what is changing in the industry and develop relationships with people from different markets around the world.

Ultimately, success for us is about meaningful business and meaningful relationships.

If exhibitors and attendees leave WTE Miami with new business opportunities, several strong new contacts and a better understanding of where the travel industry is heading, then we have accomplished what we set out to do.