Category Archives: Exhibitions

Spain Tourism Office in UAE signed an agreement with Wego, at the Arabian Travel Market. Through this collaboration, Spain Tourism & Wego to promote the ‘You deserve Spain’ campaign providing reassurance for travelers to visit the country again in the new norm. Spain is one of the top searched destinations for MENA travelers. The country is a year-round destination, packed with unique experiences, passionate people, and rich cultural traditions, not to mention its excellent dining scene, wine-making traditions and chic cities and multiple shopping avenues  across the country that is perfect for all types of travelers. Daniel Rosado, Spain Tourism, said: “We are very optimistic and with Wego as our partner, we are aiming to have a great summer and are eagerly waiting to welcome all travelers from GCC.” Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “We are thrilled to offer another stunning destination for our users to visit. Spain is on the MENA’s top travelers’ list with over 316,000 searches in Q1 2022. This partnership is in line with our efforts to provide more choice to our users and boost tourism recovery.” Travelers are invited to experience the heritage and arts and culture of the city, the stunning beaches, the coasts, and authentic food, among many sports adventures that await all the types of travelers.    

It was announced by the UK Government that, from 1 June, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will join other Gulf Cooperation Council countries with UK electronic visa waiver status, making it easier and cheaper to travel to the UK. This positive change comes as the UK is open to business and welcoming back international visitors with all COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted.  VisitBritain has already been rolling out a multi-million-pound global GREAT Britain marketing campaign “Welcome to another side of Britain” to inspire visitors to book a trip to the UK. VisitBritain Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa (APMEA) and North Asia Tricia Warwick said: “It is fantastic news that travel to the UK will become easier for travellers from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain who will now be able to obtain their British visa in 48 hours and for 30 GBP. Saudi Arabia is one of our highest spending markets, we know there is strong pent-up demand for international travel from the Gulf and making it easier for visitors to get to the UK is crucial to our message of welcome and to our competitive tourism offer. We know that GCC visitors are keen to visit the UK now that travel restrictions have eased and we can’t wait to welcome them back. GCC visitors enjoy our outstanding experiences whether that be in shopping, sports events, food or our beautiful landscapes. “VisitBritain is out in market competing hard for visitors from the Gulf at the Arabian Travel Market this week in Dubai, working with top travel trade buyers from across the region to highlight why now is a brilliant time to book a trip to Britain. We very much hope that visitors …

More than 23,000 visitors attended the 29th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, as industry leaders gathered at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) to share insights into the future of international travel and tourism. “In addition to doubling our visitor numbers year on year, ATM 2022 hosted 1,500 exhibitors and attendees from 150 countries,” commented Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME for Arabian Travel Market. “These figures are especially impressive given that lockdowns are still taking place in China and other destinations. What’s more, the development of the travel and tourism sector throughout the Middle East region shows no signs of abating, with GCC hotel construction contract awards set to rise by 16 percent this year alone.” The value of UAE and Saudi Arabian projects accounted for 90 percent of all regional hospitality contracts awarded in 2021, according to research from BNC Network. With analysis from Colliers International forecasting that $4.5 billion worth of hotel construction contracts will be awarded in the GCC during 2022, industry experts took to the ATM Global Stage for a panel discussion about the future of the region’s hospitality industry. Moderated by Paul Clifford, Group Editor – Hospitality at ITP Media Group, the panel discussion featured insights from Christopher Lund, Director – Head of Hotels MENA at Colliers International; Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality at Emaar Hospitality Group; Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President – Middle East and Africa at Radisson Hotel Group; and Judit Toth, Founder and CEO of Vivere Hospitality. Commenting on the need to attract and retain talent within the Middle East’s hospitality sector, Radisson Hotel Group’s Cordon said: “The organisations that get this right are going to benefit because, of course, …

As part of its participation at the Arabian Travel Market 2022, the Royal Commission for AlUla announced today the launch of its first Travel Agent Training Programme & Trade Information Hub – AlUla Specialist. The bespoke online hub will drive awareness of AlUla as a new and unexplored heritage and culture destination of global significance. The training platform will facilitate global travel agents to learn, market and sell trips to the vast desert region in North West Saudi Arabia. The course will lay-out five training modules in English and Arabic languages: Introduction to the destination of AlUla; the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra; Dadan and Jabal Ikmah; AlUla Old Town and Oasis; and Nature and Adventure attractions. The content will educate and support the trade highlighting key messaging, positioning and unique AlUla experiences to travel partners. As well as the dynamic five-module trade training programme, features include a trade toolkit including downloadable factsheets, brochures and visitor guide, video and training webinars, trade rewards and incentives, regular news and product updates as well as the opportunity to attend upcoming events. Participants who pass the final exam of the training programme will become an AlUla Travel Specialist and be profiled as a premium AlUla operator that can provide world-class service and up to the minute information on AlUla, to increasing travel bookings to a unique destination of a 200,000-year of unexplored human history. “With AlUla Specialist we have developed what we hope is best in class programming to support our global network of valued trade partners. AlUla is an incredibly rich and inspiring destination and we look forward to introducing AlUla to our trade partners, first digitally and then in person,” …

The Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) celebrated a successful return to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) with the exclusive announcement of two high profile strategic partnerships on the second day of the region’s leading travel trade fair. The announcements were officially presented at a press conference on the GNTO stand hosted by His Excellency, The General Secretary of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, Dimitrios Fragakis, and comes as the national tourism body steps up its efforts to promote Greek tourism across the region ahead of the summer travel period by showcasing the exceptional weather and diverse experiences on offer to visitors throughout the year under the Greek sun. The GNTO is partnering with Qatar Airways to promote new direct routes to Greece as part of its ongoing commitment to offering seamless connectivity for passengers looking to enjoy as many one-stop connections as possible. The popular Greek island of Santorini, with one of the most famous views in the world, will join high-demand flights to Athens and Mykonos to become the third destination to be served in Greece by Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways and the GNTO will run a dedicated media campaign to raise awareness among audiences in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the unique, money can’t buy experiences that only Greece has to offer. The campaign will also target potential travelers from as far afield as Australia. The first flight to Santorini is scheduled to depart from Doha’s Hamad International Airport, voted the world’s best airport in 2021, on 7th June 2022. The new flights will further increase the already strong connectivity that Greece enjoys with the EMEA region, with existing routes including regular and seasonal …

Tourism Malaysia, the promotion board under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia, is participating once again in the Arabian Travel Market with the country’s tourism trade partners, to promote Malaysia to the Middle Eastern market. Showcasing the latest attractions and destinations for shopping, family fun, eco-adventure, honeymoons, luxury holidays, Malaysia will also underscore its reputation as a safe travel destination. The prestigious annual event is once again being held at Dubai World Trade Centre, from 9th to 12th May. This year, the Malaysian delegation is led by The Honourable Minister Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. The Malaysia Pavilion consists of 64 delegates representing 32 organisations, eager to meet key industry buyers from the Middle East. Malaysia reopened its borders to international tourists on 1st April 2022. Commenting, Dato’ Sri Nancy said, “It was indeed a significant milestone for our tourism industry as we welcome more international visitors, first time and returning visitors alike, to further boost our economy. Now that our borders are fully open again, we are confident that we will witness a strong rebound in tourism numbers, to bolster the recovery of our economy. We estimate two million international tourist arrivals this year generating more than RM8.6 billion (AED7.5 billion) in tourism receipts.” Pre-pandemic, in 2019, Malaysia received 397,726 tourists from MENA region. Saudi Arabia was Malaysia’s top market, accounting for 121,444 tourists, more than 30% of arrivals, from the West Asia and North African regions, an 8.2% increase over the previous year. The Malaysian delegation is comprised of hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourism product owners, and representatives from state tourism boards. During the four-day event, they will …

The Indian Traveller: Writing the global recovery sequel organised byTravTalk India will take place at ATM Global Stage on Thursday, 12th May from 10:30 – 11:15 moderated by San Jeet, CEO DDP Group. Pent-up demand and eagerness to travel are terms that are very often used for Indian outbound travel. Yes, the Indian traveller is raging to go and wants to travel the world. This segment is quick to rebound, remains strong, and has the spending capacity. Luxury has become the new mantra for Indian traveller. Research shows that the frequency to travel has increased and the spending is going up. Will the Indian outbound traveller replace the Chinese traveller from the pre-pandemic world? What does the Indian traveller now expect and what can international brands do to welcome them with open arms? Let’s discuss this further with stalwarts from the Indian outbound sector who can highlight these new trends and redefine the new and evolved Indian traveller.

GCC travellers are looking to make up for lost time when it comes to travel, with the anticipation of new experiences dominating conversations, according to research revealed yesterday at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022 by leading consumer intelligence company D/A. The research is based on the analysis of over four million social media posts and comments from more than two million Arabic-speaking unique users in the GCC. The number of travel conversations and posts about travel increased by 110% and 151%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021. Speaking on the ATM Global Stage on Tuesday, 10 May, Paul Kelly, Managing Partner, D/A, said: “Travel conversations increased to over 1.3 million in 2021, underscoring the willingness by Arabic speakers in the GCC to travel, regardless of age or nationality. We are ultimately witnessing the pent-up demand from the last two years coming to the fore as borders reopen, flights are back on track and restrictions are lifted.” GCC travellers have a vital role in tourism recovery, a direct result of their spending power. According to the UNWTO, GCC travellers spend 6.5 times more than the global average, with 40% of GCC travellers spending more than AED36,700 on their last trip to Europe. Travellers from Saudi Arabia are reportedly the highest travel spenders globally. “Overall, when it comes to the GCC traveller, the conversations indicate that something new is the order of the moment. Even in the familiar, a new experience is at the top of the wish list for those intent on travelling soon – a huge change from what we have seen in the past year or two,” Kelly added. In terms of holiday preference, the consensus is on escaping …

29th edition of the Arabian Travel Market concluded day two with great success. According to some of the exhibitors this year’s ATM is one of the best in terms of business meetings. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and Chairman of Dubai World shared that Dubai continues to strengthen its position at the forefront of global travel and tourism recovery by hosting global events that bring together decision-makers in the sector from across the region and the globe, contributing to worldwide efforts to open new growth horizons for the industry. Dubai’s ability to provide a safe environment for both tourism and prominent global events over the past two years and its success in overcoming the repercussions of the recent worldwide health crisis have enabled it to welcome large numbers of visitors from all over the world. “Dubai provides a unique model for sustainable development that not only promotes economic progress within the nation but also stimulates growth in the region and broader global markets. The Arabian Travel Market provides a vital platform for tourism and travel industry leaders in the Middle East and across the world to connect and network with each other and discover new opportunities for growth, collaboration and success,” he said. Taking place from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May, this year’s event is more than 85% larger than ATM 2021 in terms of floorspace, with growth in every single region. ATM 2022 features 1,500 exhibitors, representatives from 158 global destinations, and an anticipated 20,000 attendees. The live show will be followed by ATM Virtual, which will …

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and Chairman of Dubai World, today officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, marking the start of the 29th edition of the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said Dubai continues to strengthen its position at the forefront of global travel and tourism recovery by hosting global events that bring together decision-makers in the sector from across the region and the globe, contributing to worldwide efforts to open new growth horizons for the industry. Dubai’s ability to provide a safe environment for both tourism and prominent global events over the past two years and its success in overcoming the repercussions of the recent worldwide health crisis have enabled it to welcome large numbers of visitors from all over the world. “Dubai provides a unique model for sustainable development that not only promotes economic progress within the nation but also stimulates growth in the region and broader global markets. The Arabian Travel Market provides a vital platform for tourism and travel industry leaders in the Middle East and across the world to connect and network with each other and discover new opportunities for growth, collaboration and success,” he said. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed was accompanied at the inauguration by His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Vasyl Zhygalo, Portfolio Director, RX Global; Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, ATM; and a host of other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the show floor as the four-day event …