Category Archives: Exhibitions

As Indian flight queries for the UAE and Egypt witness a significant uptick, and the country retains its position as Dubai’s biggest source market, India’s tourism sector will be a key focus for delegates, exhibitors and attendees at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May. With India’s travel industry projected to account for 29 million outbound trips per year by 2025, according to analysis from GlobalData, and ResearchandMarkets.com predicting its outbound tourism market will surpass $42 billion by the end of 2024, ATM 2022 will offer a timely opportunity to explore the vast potential offered by the country’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector. Data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) shows that the country ranked top of the emirate’s source market list for 2021, accounting for 910,000 inbound visitors, and short-haul flight queries for destinations including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Egypt have witnessed a 30 percent uptick among Indian tourists, according to Thomas Cook (India). Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The global pandemic had a major impact on India’s travel sector but, as our industry’s global post-pandemic recovery continues to gather pace, Indian tourists appear eager to return to their favourite Middle Eastern destinations. We are excited to explore the vast potential of this vital source market as part of our dedicated buyer forum at ATM 2022.” The number of inbound tourists travelling from India to the UAE has witnessed a 50 percent increase of late, with VFS Global processing 40,000 travel visas since Dubai reopened its borders following the pandemic. With a buyer forum dedicated exclusively to …

The Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) is coming back to Saudi Arabia, and it’s coming back bigger than before. The news was announced by ASAS Exhibitions; the official organiser of the travel and tourism event that has otherwise been held annually since 2009. The 12th edition of the Fair will be held after a two-year-long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and will open its doors to exhibitors, trade visitors and travel enthusiasts from 22-24 May, 2022. The three-day fair will be held for the first time at the newly developed exhibition center; Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center (RICEC). Demand from exhibitors to participate in the event has been extremely strong, with most of the available spaces fully booked. Some spaces do remain available however, which once finalized will see more than 300 participants representing tourism boards, airlines, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), hotels and resorts, and tour operators from over 40 countries in attendance. A key theme at Riyadh Travel Fair 2022 will be ‘Safe & Meaningful Travel Following a Covid Pandemic World’. Through various platforms a number of networking events and business opportunities for participants will be held over the course of the three days, as well as providing an opportunity for exhibitors to meet with Riyadh’s travelling public and popular influencers and media representatives. 15 new destinations and companies are participating for the first time in the annual exhibition, including representatives from Thailand, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Maldives, and Philippines among others. “We are so glad to be back!”, stated Bander Algryni, General Manager at ASAS Exhibitions. “It is great to see the desire for travel returning with such force and resilience and the inclusion of new participants …

Taking place on the Travel Tech Stage at Arabian Travel Market 2022, the inaugural competition will give up to 15 start-ups from travel and transportation, hospitality tech, and experiences and attractions the opportunity to pitch to industry judges and investors Up to fifteen start-ups from across the tourism and hospitality sector will be given the opportunity to pitch for up to half a million dollar of funding, thanks to a brand-new competition that will take place at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, which will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 9-12 May 2022, said: “The ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition offers an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs from across the industry to pitch their business plans in front of our expert judges, not to mention a global audience of industry professionals and investors. “In addition to pitching for up to $500,000 of investment at ATM 2022, the winning start-up will be given the chance to compete for a further $500,000 of funding on Tim Draper’s hugely popular television show, Meet the Drapers.” The inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition, which will take place on the ATM Travel Tech Stage on Tuesday 10 May 2022, will see 15 start-ups go head-to-head. Spanning the segments of travel and transportation, hospitality tech, and experiences and attractions, each pitch will last for five minutes and will be followed by a five-minute Q&A session with ATM’s panel of industry judges. The overall winner will receive a minimum of $30,000 up to a maximum of $500,000 investment, a DASC Certificate and the chance to appear on Tim Draper’s TV show, Meet the Drapers, where they compete for …

According to new research commissioned by Arabian Travel Market and conducted at the end of 2021 by hotel market intelligence and global benchmarking company STR, Makkah and Doha are both expanding their hotel room inventory by 76%, followed by Riyadh, Medina and Muscat with 66%, 60% and 59% growth respectively. In Dubai, rooms growth stands at 26%, which is still extraordinary, considering its existing base and following years of continuous hotel development – it is still more than double the global average. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 9-12 May 2022 said, “With the global average sitting at 12% we are witnessing multiple GCC destinations growing at six times those rates.” “These figures coupled with the ongoing relaxation in travel restrictions, will undoubtedly encourage travel professionals throughout the Middle East and further afield. As such we are expecting a substantial increase in the number of participants at our live event this year, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and the UAE,” she added. According to the report, there are almost 2.5 million hotel rooms currently under contract around the world, 3.2% or 80,000 rooms of that supply is taking place in Saudi Arabia alone. Furthermore, although Expo 2020 in Dubai, is now drawing to a close (31 March 2022), the mega event has been the catalyst for accelerated hotel room growth in the UAE with almost 50,000 rooms still due to open across the Emirates. Following closely behind is Doha with final preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022 now being put in place. Doha is on track to deliver 23,000 hotel rooms pre- and post-World Cup …

Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) to address delegates on ATM Global Stage, as growth in business travel spending estimated to have outstripped leisure travel in 2021 – WTTC report findings bode well for ME business travel & tourism Business travel expenditure in the Middle East is forecast to rise by 32% this year, following a predicted 49% increase during 2021, according to a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) published in November 2021. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 9-12 May 2022, said, “This positive data will provide a welcome boost for business travel and tourism professionals throughout the Middle East region, as economies around the world begin to relax travel restrictions, despite the disruption caused by the outbreak of the Omicron variant. “During 2021, the increase in business spending for the full year is expected to have actually outpaced spending on leisure travel by 13%, 10% and 1% in the Middle East, Europe and Africa respectively. “Aviation experts speaking at ATM 2021, had expected business travel to lag behind leisure travel, but this estimated increase of 32%, comes on top of a predicted rise during 2021 of 49% which although 2020 was a challenging year, the business travel segment is now clearly accelerating towards pre pandemic levels,” added Curtis. In terms of business travel spending in 2021, the report ranks the Middle East region first with an increase of 49%, followed by Europe and Africa (36%), Asia Pacific (32%) and the Americas (14%). According to the report, the Asia Pacific region will lead the world in 2022 with growth in spending …

From biometric-based checks, self-boarding and real-time bag-tracking to digitalized air traffic management, airports have kept up competing by continuously adopting cutting-edge technologies for a completely frictionless travelling experience.  Having insights into the newest technology helps remain at the cutting edge of the airport business, now highly competitive post-pandemic. Innovative technologies and products are providing a wider degree of agility and flexibility for the airports as the number of passengers are gradually increasing and they prefer completion of their baggage handling operations outside the airports. Digital queuing and biometric has been viewed as a priority to be implemented to modernize every component of the journey at airports which are expected to allocate up to six per cent of their revenues each year to spend on Information Technology until 2024 on transformative projects and infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency and preparing themselves to handle passengers whose numbers will reach 8.2 billion in 2037 and 20.9 billion by 2040. A diverse range of technologically advance and innovative products will be displayed at the Airport Show 2022. The world’s largest airport industry B2B platform, organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, will provide insights into the investments planned by the world’s airports until 2040. The 21st edition will be held from May 17 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). 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 Patron of Airport Show, said: “The Airport Show has provided over the past two decades products and services to create most advanced aviation facilities in the world.” Airports are being increasingly becoming destinations …

Reed Exhibitions (RX) the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has announced that this year’s four-day event will now open on Monday 9 May 2022 and close on Thursday 12 May 2022, to fall in line with the UAE’s new Monday-to-Friday working week. Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the revised dates are also expected to complement international markets, the majority of which also follow the Monday-to-Friday working week. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the global travel and tourism community to the UAE on Monday 9 May 2022. Made possible by the UAE’s forward-thinking decision to transition to a 4.5-day, Monday-to-Friday workweek, we are confident ATM 2022’s updated timings will benefit both exhibitors and attendees by offering improved alignment with international markets.” Endorsing ATM’s position, UAE business sentiment is certainly very positive. According to a poll conducted by management consultancy Mercer, overall, 84% of private sector firms welcomed the initiative and 37% would adopt a long-term flexible approach, particularly those with close trading links with other Gulf countries. Now in its 29th year and working in collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) – previously known as the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), ATM 2022 will feature a broad selection of show highlights. Travel Forward, the leading global event for travel technology, will shine a spotlight on next-generation innovations for tourism and hospitality. ATM buyer forums and speed networking events will take place during the four days of the show. After joining remotely for ATM 2021, this year will see both the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum and …

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has announced its participation in the World Travel Market (WTM) Expo 2021, which is being held at Excel London in the British capital from November 1-3, 2021. WTM 2021 aims to explore the profound changes that global tourism has witnessed over the past two years. The WTM agenda includes enhancing international communication in order to establish ways to rebuild, innovate, and take advantage of the current opportunities to reshape the global travel and tourism system as the pandemic progressively recedes. SCTDA is heading the Sharjah delegation, which includes representatives from Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (SHUROOQ), Expo Centre Sharjah, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Sharjah Sports Council, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA), Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, Sharjah Collection, TravTalk, Golden Sands Hotel Sharjah and Adventure Activities Platform Mughamer.com. H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, stressed the importance of this year’s edition of the WTM, the first to take place as the travel and hospitality sector begins the return to a pre-pandemic footing, commenting that the Sharjah delegation intends to leverage the opportunity to highlight the travel and tourism objectives of the Emirate of Sharjah. “Sharjah’s participation at this year’s World Travel Market comes within the framework of achieving the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which is to consolidate the position of the Emirate of Sharjah globally, through launching qualitative development and infrastructure projects and intensifying efforts to restore momentum to the tourism sector, considering that it is one of the most important pillars of the national economy. Our participation this year will …

RX Global, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has revealed that 2022 could witness a resurgence in brand conscious travellers, following commentary it received from delegates attending its 2021 in-person and virtual seminars about responsible tourism. “The feedback we received, has enabled us to identify a particular profile of traveller, that now actively looks for ethical brands to follow and wants to see tangible evidence of that brand practicing what it claims to be. “This potential vertical shows a combination of characteristics attributed to outdoor adventurers, wellness, eco-tourists, digital nomads on ‘workcations’, experiential tourists and socially aware travellers,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “Naturally we will be showcasing this emerging trend during our 2022 hybrid event which takes place live and in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 8-11 May 2022, with a virtual edition on 17 and 18 May 2022. “Our conference programme for ATM 2022 is still being created but already we have sessions that will address the challenges facing airlines, hotels and other destinations, in the near future, such as health and safety, technology and equity in health, education, and economic opportunity,” added Curtis. During our aviation seminars at ATM 2021, experts felt that it would be short haul leisure breaks, favouring low-cost operators would be the first to recover in the wake of the pandemic. Although that may still seem to be the case, this emerging market segment certainly won’t be confined to one location, will likely choose longer haul destinations and stay over a longer timeframe, interspersed with periods of work. “The bottom line here is very similar though. These tourists will still want to see brands committed to health …

The third edition of the Gulf Travel Show, the most important virtual event in the region concluded successfully closing with 2500+  one on one business meetings connecting the trade in the Middle East with some of the most important tourism boards, hotels, resorts, destinations, attractions etc from across the globe. Seema Pande, Co-Founder Elev8 shared, “The Gulf Travel Show, as always, did not disappoint. From the set-up, to the demo calls and having a personalized contact during the show all go towards making this a success. Pre-set appointments are always sent to the exhibitors and while being an on-line show, you can end up missing a few, your personal contact will ensure they find their way back to the booth. It was a great platform to re-connect with old contacts and make some new ones. We attended the show with two of our partner hotels, Le Duc de Praslin, Seychelles and the JW Marriott Mauritius Resort and given our experience, I would highly recommend GTS to my industry colleagues.” In the auditorium the sessions conducted by various experts in the fields of travel, hospitality and technology in the region were viewed and shared by the visitors. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the key topic everyone was looking at as they recently opened its borders and resumed visa on arrival for leisure travelers of the 49 countries that were announced earlier. Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 has provided a whole new outlook for the tourism industry Sanjeet Director DDP in conversation with Muzzammil Ahussain EVP Seera Group finds out more information with regard to the latest tourism projects in the kingdom. Another important factor currently promoted in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is …