The BRICS countries will the focus of a keynote session at World Travel Market in London next month hosted by Stephen Sackur, presenter of BBC World’s news and current affairs programme.

China outbound travel alone is growing by an estimated 20 per cent a year, with 58m Chinese travelling outbound last year.

The WTM panel discussion, ‘Power Talk: Investing in BRICS Tourism’, will take place on Wednesday 9 November, including senior representatives from government and tourism organisations of all five BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

South African Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk is one of the key names signed up to speak. The speakers included:

● Jeanine Pires, Director for PIRES & Associates, President of the Tourism and Business Council of FECOMERCIO in São Paulo, and former President of the Brazilian Tourism Board

● Sergey Stanovkin, Director, Dars Consulting, Moscow
● H.E Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Tourism , South Africa
● Subodh Kant Sahay, Minister of Tourism , Government of India

Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market, Fiona Jeffery, says: “Given sound political decisions and some good luck, the BRICS economies together could become larger than those of the world’s six most developed countries in less than 40 years,” Jeffery says. “That is why this is such an important session for the future of the international industry.”

She adds that two billion new middle class consumers are expected to come into the markets from these emerging economies over the next 20 years.

"Critics say the industry is simply not preparing ahead sufficiently to maximise these numerous opportunities," Jeffery says.