Building back and renewed advocacy initiatives at WYSE Travel Confederation 2022 Annual General Meeting

Members and guests attended the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of WYSE Travel Confederation ahead of the 2022 World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, 27 September 2022.

Following two tough years, WYSE Travel Confederation’s Director General, David Chapman, provided attendees with an update on the Confederation’s activities and several new initiatives.

In particular, he noted the key aims of WYSE Travel Confederation since the pandemic, which included a renewed focus on increasing significantly the buyer programme budget, recovering pre-pandemic membership levels and the launch of a new Member Portal.

‘Recovery is on its way and very much evolving; there has been a noticeable uptick in membership and event attendance,’ said Chapman.

The launch of WYSE Travel Confederation’s development grant programme, WYSE Up! was also announced. The grant aims to bring young and innovative companies that serve the youth and student travel market into the community, offering the chance for fast-track entrance to the heart of the global industry.

Board Member Vicki Cunningham, took to the podium to provide an update on the Youth Travel Charter. Announced at the 2019 World Youth and Student Travel Conference, the Charter was put on hold during the pandemic and is now being revisited by a working committee of WYSE Travel Confederation Members.

The next Annual General Meeting of WYSE Travel Confederation will be held on 12 September 2023 at WYSTC 2023 in Lisbon.