WTM London’s Record Charity Donation to Fund Water Resilience Project in Nicaragua
WTM London has announced its largest-ever donation to international safe water charity Just a Drop, with funds raised during the 2025 edition set to finance a watershed restoration programme supporting rural farming communities in Nicaragua.
The event generated £8,300 through exhibitor donations, with organiser WTM London matching the amount to bring the total contribution to £16,600. Additional donations made by visitors during the event registration process are expected to increase the overall fundraising total further.
The latest milestone builds on a partnership that has now spanned 28 years. Over that period, WTM London has raised more than £140,000 for Just a Drop, helping deliver 17 safe water projects across nine countries and benefiting more than 12,500 people. The collaboration has now been renewed for another year, with the charity once again set to participate at the 2026 edition of the show.
Rather than funding short-term interventions, this year's contribution will support a long-term watershed restoration programme delivered in partnership with local organisation El Porvenir. The initiative focuses on the Waslala and Camoapa regions of Nicaragua, where agriculture-dependent communities are increasingly facing drought, soil degradation and other climate-related pressures.
The programme combines watershed conservation with sustainable land management practices, including agroforestry, alongside soil and water conservation measures and community-led environmental education. Together, these actions aim to restore forest cover, improve water management, strengthen agricultural livelihoods and enhance the long-term resilience of local communities.
Although Nicaragua possesses abundant freshwater resources, decades of infrastructure damage, compounded by recurring natural disasters, continue to leave many rural communities without reliable access to safe water. According to Just a Drop, around 19% of the country's population still lacks access to safe drinking water.
Chris Carter-Chapman, WTM London's Event Director, said: “We are proud to be a Just a Drop Founding Partner and delighted to see our financial contribution rise to new heights in 2025 thanks to the continued generosity of show exhibitors and attendees.
“Championing sustainability is an important part of our ethos and it’s always satisfying to see the real impact we can make by supporting Just a Drop’s vital work in this field.”
Fiona Jeffery OBE, Founder and President of Just a Drop, added: “Access to safe water changes lives, not only by protecting the health of communities, but also by securing the livelihoods they rely on.
“Thanks to the record-breaking donation from WTM London 2025, we will be able to support a watershed project in Nicaragua, which will change the lives of rural communities both now and in the years to come. We’re very grateful to WTM for their continued support and to everyone who has helped make this project a reality.”
Just a Drop will return as an exhibitor at WTM London 2026, where it will continue raising awareness of its global water projects and engaging with the travel industry's sustainability agenda.
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