Category Archives: Exhibitions

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 has reconfirmed that Dubai will host the largest in-person travel & tourism event in the world, since the onset of the pandemic last year. Now in its 28th year, ATM 2021 will go-ahead at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May, as final preparations are being put in place. “The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds,” said Claude Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM& IBTM Portfolios. “This underscores the importance of ATM, connecting destinations with their source markets,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market. “It is imperative that we include a virtual element, many industry professionals from around the world, may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Curtis. “Due to Dubai’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety and its effective citywide management of the pandemic, it was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),” added Curtis.

Global Village concluded its Silver Jubilee Season in spectacular fashion, having set out in October with the aim of breaking 25 Guinness World Records to honour the milestone anniversary, this vision became a reality as the 25th title was claimed in style. Global Village’s attempt to break the “Highest altitude skydiving fireworks display” was successful, adding the finishing touch to a memorable Season. Jaki Ellenby, Executive Director marketing, Global Village said: “It seems like just yesterday that we took the decision to attempt 25 records in just 6 months as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations. It has been an incredible journey… not always easy, but always exciting and our team rose to the challenge with passion and resilience. We have worked with some truly amazing organisations and individuals to accomplish this feat including the largest rock band on earth, Rockin’1000, Emirates, Jumeirah, ARN, SkyDive Dubai, Miraj Entertainment and we are especially grateful for the support of all our commercial partners, exhibitors and their teams.” Shaddy Gaad, Senior Marketing Manager – Guinness World Records MENA said, “Driven by the passion to create newsworthy and shareable content, Global Village created one of the biggest marketing campaigns this season to celebrate its Silver Jubilee. It is an incredible milestone to be the first brand in the MENA region to break 25 world records, many of which were dedicated to good causes including donation campaigns, online pledges, and distributing food packages to charities. Congratulations to Global Village on reaching this remarkable achievement, you are Officially Amazing.”

Ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place in Dubai next month, Hotelbeds, the world’s leading bedbank, has revealed that the prestigious city has consistently been within its top three destinations by room nights sold throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Hotelbeds, despite the crisis, has recovered to pre-COVID volumes, year to date, for the wider UAE as destination. Both early bird bookings and last-minute reservations characterize the majority of the room nights sold. Ali Taheri, Regional Sourcing Director commented, “While the whole of the travel industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, it is fantastic news that we can name Dubai as one of our leading destinations during this time, highlighting its enduring magnetism for travellers. “As a region, and as a team, we have been able to maintain high levels of resilience during these unprecedented times and this is due to a number of factors. Firstly, having exposure to a diversified domestic and international client base protected us against the risk of lost volumes in closed corridors and secondly, we benefitted from uninterrupted cash flow while many players were facing systemic cash restrictions. And last but not least, the destructive nature of the pandemic brought out the streetfighter spirit in the team!”  

Prominent tourism figures will be participating in-person at the opening session of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Global Stage 2021 – ‘Tourism for a brighter future’ which is being held on Sunday 16 May 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The line-up includes foremost speakers, such as His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary-General of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics Middle East and Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. The four-day conference will address a broad range of topics, from travel and health, as well as dedicated forums on China, Saudi Arabia and India, plus a dedicated hotel summit, looking at the changing roles of hotels and the changing hospitality landscape. The Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit will discuss the Vision 2030 strategy’s positive repercussions, the ambitious megaprojects and how the country is setting new global industry benchmarks. It will feature high-level experts including Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), Dr. Afnan Alshuaiby, Founder & CEO of FNN International and Chairperson of Arab international Women’s Forum, Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority and John Pagano, CEO, Red Sea Development Company. Commenting, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The general theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the opening session will get the show, off to a positive, practical and optimistic start. “Undoubtedly, discussion on the show floor will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, social and travel restrictions and …

Retail Abu Dhabi indicates record sales figures of AED 2.4 billion were achieved on Visa cards in participating stores alone during the recent Abu Dhabi Winter Shopping Season. Alongside global partner, Visa, it is reported that total transactions using Visa cards during the campaign grew by 17% compared to last year, engaging 21 malls and over 3,500 participating stores in the emirate. “Following on from Retail Abu Dhabi’s successful 2020 Unbox Amazing summer campaign, which demonstrated the sector’s strong COVID-19 resilience, the emirate’s retail sector has once again shown its maturity and agility with Abu Dhabi Winter Shopping Season,” said HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “As our most effective winter season campaign to date, the winter campaign has consolidated Abu Dhabi’s standing as a leading regional shopping destination, amplified with robust strategic alliances delivering first-in-region consumer experiences. This includes the introduction of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Beauty Week, which underlines Retail Abu Dhabi’s position as a platform for innovation across multiple retail segments. “The legacy of both Abu Dhabi Winter Shopping Season and Abu Dhabi Beauty Week presents a slew of opportunities to expand the emirate’s retail and beauty sectors for future editions and leaves us very optimistic as we continue to navigate this ‘new normal’ together.” Rabih Al Hajri, Acting Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Business Center, Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi, praised the strong collaboration: “The Department of Economic Development aims to support the rebound of Abu Dhabi’s business and tourism sectors. In partnership with DCT-Abu Dhabi, the seasonal retail campaigns, including the Abu Dhabi Winter Shopping Season, played an active role in supporting the recovery …

Tourism Malaysia pledged partnership for the second consecutive time at the second edition of the Gulf Travel Show on 31st March and 1st April 2021 as diamond partners. Tourism Malaysia will have its own pavilion with 13 booths consisting of Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Tourism Malaysia Jeddah, Tourism Malaysia India with 3 DMC/Tour Operator partners, and 7 hotels and resorts from different areas in the country. This platform will allow them to share the necessary precautions that they have implemented to ensure the safety of all travellers that will come when the borders open. Manoharan Periasamy, Senior Director of International Promotion Asia & Africa Division – Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board said, “India and Middle East market has been a key source market for us mainly due to the historical and traditional ties we have with them. Summer has always been a key Middle East market driver as we receive many travellers during this period whilst the month of May is the peak for Indian tourists. Over the past year, the pandemic however did hinder the situation, but now we are preparing once again to welcome our friends from India and the Middle East to a safer destination that would provide them what they require in terms of a secure, family-friendly holiday escape. Our partnership for the second consecutive time with the virtual event Gulf Travel Show provides us the opportunity to renew partnerships and seek new connections that will help us when the time is right.” Shahrin Mokhtar, Director of Tourism Malaysia – Dubai shared, “Tourism Malaysia Dubai, Jeddah & India join forces with major tourism partners to spearhead Malaysia promotion in Virtual Gulf Travel Show 2021. Tourism Malaysia has become …

Hotel Show Dubai has launched an initiative for region’s hospitality community from February 18-27, 2021. Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has organised the 10-day event which will see a select group of popular hotels on Sheikh Zayed Road transformed by night into illuminated beacons of hospitality. Each hotel has been partnered with an internationally acclaimed lighting design firm with full creative license to construct a custom exterior façade installation under the theme titled a ‘Celebration of Lighting and Hospitality’. “Following an extremely challenging trading year for the hospitality industry in 2020, and the knock-on effect that the pandemic has had on those industry sectors that support tourism GDP contribution, we wanted to shine a light on the importance of this vital economic backbone,” said Jasmeet Bakshi, Group Event Director at dmg events – the organizer of The Hotel Show Dubai. “Dubai has been a tourism pioneer for decades, from planning and delivering its architecturally iconic skyline to developing an exceptional tourism offering that attracted 16 million tourists in 2019. Illuminate Dubai is a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight our work and the ever-evolving appeal of the emirate’s hospitality sector,” said David McNeil, Director of dpa lighting consultants. For Samer Moukalled, Vice President of headline sponsor Scientechnic Lighting Solutions, “The hospitality industry has long been a backbone to the thriving tourism sector of the UAE, and the idea of using light to reestablish its importance is a major boon for lighting experts like myself. Lighting is often termed the unsung hero and Illuminate Dubai has created a platform to showcase its true power. We are lighting up the city, and what better medium than on the facades …

Over the past year TravTalk has been instrumental in keeping the industry positive with their signature Digital conclaves. As we embark on a new year with a novel line of thought consisting a set of brand new trends, vaccinations and digital passports spreading its hope once again in the industry, we will have a tête-à-tête with stalwarts in the industry about an exclusive update. The first TravTalk digital conclave for 2021 kicks off on 23rd February 2021 with 6 key industry leaders in two sessions back to back. The first session will focus on Vaccination and the second wave of covid; where is travel headed? From 11.30 am to 12.30pm (UAE time) with Mamoun Hmedan – Managing Director  EMEA- Wego, Arijit Munshi- General Manager EMEAI -Tune Protect and Ramsumesh Menon – Chief Executive Officer -Go Gosaibi Travel  – Bahrain. Wellness tourism is an integral part in the Middle East the second session will focus on finding happiness through wellness tourism. The session starts by 1pm (UAE time) until 2pm with Laszlo Puczko -CEO & Co-founder – Health Tourism Worldwide, Linda Abdulla – CEO and Founder – Oryx Healthcare Consultancy and Kathryn Moore – Founder and Managing Director Spa Connectors, Global

Dubai Airshow 2021 will serve as a platform to showcase the role of cutting edge technologies in bolstering the recovery of the aviation, aerospace and defence industries following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The impact of the pandemic has accelerated the use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cybersecurity, touchless solutions, 5G, robotics, and automation. These solutions serve as a means to drive new opportunities within the industry and enhance safety, operations, productivity and profitability. As part of Dubai Airshow 2021, aerospace companies from across the world will launch and exhibit their latest technologies and innovations to promote the sector’s growth in the region and the world. The event will also include conference programmes dedicated to the topics of AI, 5G, and cybersecurity. Commenting on its partnership with VISTA at Dubai Airshow 2021, Elodie Robin-Guillerm from Gothams said, “The start-up ecosystem is thriving not just with ideas, but also with innovative startups and investors looking to help businesses scale up and expand. Dubai Airshow 2021 will be an important, in-person, platform for understanding the role of innovation, cutting-edge solutions and services for the future growth of the aerospace sectors. It will be the only live event of its kind this year and we look forward to collaborating with the wider industry to help showcase the power of technology for its future.”

Second edition of the Singapore Tourism Board Virtual Roadshow to be held on Wednesday February 3, 2021 from 10am to 4pm UAE time. Sentosa Development Corporation will partner with the event and travel trade partners from the Middle East will have the opportunity to meet them one on one. Jacqueline Low, Director of Sales, Business and Channel Development, Sentosa Development Corporation stated that they will update the latest offerings, “ We will be providing updates on Sentosa’s latest offerings to help our partners plan their itineraries for when travel resumes for more markets, and provide assurance that Sentosa is ready to welcome guests, anytime they are ready.” She further reiterated, “Sentosa has an array of personalized and intimate experiences that can appeal to the Middle East travellers. With a steady increase of Middle East travelers to Singapore, this can mean new source market(s) for the island businesses to develop.With travel restrictions still in place, a face to face interaction may not happen so soon. A virtual roadshow allows us to share what Sentosa has to offer. This helps us strengthen the awareness and increase the mindshare of our beautiful island in Middle East while we await earnestly to welcome their visit.”,