Category Archives: Exhibitions

Travel professionals and policymakers from across the globe will explore how the tourism sector is ‘Working Towards Net Zero’ at the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 May 2023. The four-day event will feature over 150 speakers across 63 sessions, as policymakers and industry figures from around the world outline how they are working to drive decarbonisation within the sector. Ministers from the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Jamaica and Spain will join a host of senior figures from the private sector to showcase sustainable innovations, share knowledge and best practice, and explore opportunities and challenges along the road to net zero. Exhibitor participation in ATM 2023 will be 27% higher than last year, with growth across all show sectors. These include regional upticks for the Middle East (15.1% larger), Europe (30.9% larger), Asia (18.6% larger) and Africa (44.7% larger), as well as representation from Travel Tech and hotels, which has expanded by 57.9% and 23.5%, respectively. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “We intend to use the 30th edition of ATM to address one of the most significant challenges facing our sector, in line with our theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero’. Increased participation in this year’s show not only reflects the seriousness with which global tourism professionals and policymakers are taking sustainability, but also rising demand for leisure and business travel across the Middle East and beyond.” ATM 2023 will host an array of regional policymakers, including HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy; Hoor Al Khaja, Associate Vice President of International Operations at Dubai’s Department …

Chinese exhibitors and travel professionals are making a welcome return to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023 which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for its 30th edition from 1-4 May, for the first time in three years. China lifted its covid-related travel restrictions on 8th January 2023, allowing Chinese tourists to travel abroad, without having to quarantine upon their return.  Bookings for overseas travel during Chinese New Year, soared by 540% compared with the same period in 2022, according to data from the Chinese travel site Trip.com. Furthermore, in a CNN report, Steve Saxon, a partner at McKinsey, based in Shenzhen,  predicted the Chinese outbound market would recover to around six million per month by the summer of 2023, driven in part by the pent-up demand especially from young, affluent Chinese. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market commented, “China became the world’s top source market in 2019, with 155 million tourists spending more than $250 billion overseas. However, its isolation from the global market over the past three years has set the industry back by an estimated $840 billion, equivalent, to 16% of the $1.7 trillion spent annually on global tourism, according to UNWTO.” Dubai received almost one million Chinese visitors in 2019, which was an increase of over 15% compared with 2018. And while the 154,000 Chinese visitors Dubai welcomed over the first 11 months of 2022 was down 83% compared to the same period prior to 2020, it was up 115% year-on-year, which bodes well not only for Dubai, but also for the wider Middle East tourism sector. Popular destinations such as Dubai, Saudi’s AlUla, Egypt and Jordan, which have consistently marketed …

Business travel in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is recovering more rapidly than in any other region, according to the most recent Business Travel Index™ Outlook annual forecast and outlook (2022), from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association. MEA business travel achieved 86% of its 2019 levels during 2022, outperforming the recovery in Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. The strong performance of the sector and future opportunities will come under the spotlight during Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 1-4 May. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The business travel sector is a key component of the Middle East’s wider travel and tourism industry, and it is encouraging to see that it has bounced back so strongly since the pandemic. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) will present an in-depth analysis of how technology can support this return to travel and the ways in which this can be done sustainably in two education sessions with key insights from leading industry professionals.” According to the forecast, business travel spending reached $933 billion globally in 2022, 65% of the USD $1.4 trillion business pre-pandemic travel spend, with the MEA region accounting for $23 billion or approximately 2.5% of overall spending within the sector. “The MEA region is an important growth market for business travel and benefitted from a prompt Covid-19 vaccination roll-out in key markets such as the UAE and Israel, as well as increased economic activity driven by the rising price of crude oil to accelerate the business travel recovery. The region is expected to return to pre-pandemic business travel spend by …

Saudi kicks off its first participation at ITB Berlin, the world’s biggest travel show and convention, celebrating key milestones for Saudi’s tourism growth story and showcasing the breadth and depth of Saudi’s extraordinary destination offering. In the run up to the event, Saudi hosted members of media at the press conference session “Unexpected Arabia: Discover Saudi,” on Monday 6 March, giving a preview of Saudi’s diverse offerings and developments. During the week there will be interactive on-stand experiences, bringing to life the rich culture and heritage of one of the world’s last frontiers of tourism. Visitors will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in the authentic home of Arabia, to feel the unparalleled hospitality for which the country is known. As the largest exhibitor at this year’s edition of ITB Berlin, a record number of partners for Saudi are on the stand showcasing a record number of bookable products for the destination (200+) spanning experiences, packages, hotels, and cruises for trade partners. This presence reflects the incredible growth the country is witnessing. Since opening to tourism in 2019, Saudi has been recognized as the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination in the G20. With an extraordinary +121% increase from pre-pandemic international tourism levels, Saudi achieved 93.5 million visits in 2022 and is outpacing global tourism sector recovery as recognized by the UNWTO. As the world’s biggest investor in tourism, Saudi has committed $550bn to new destinations by 2030. Preserving heritage and history, a $50.6 billion masterplan will transform Diriyah, a 300-year-old city and birthplace of Saudi, into one of the world’s most exciting cultural sites. In 2023, Red Sea Global, the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development, will debut its first hotel …

After a hiatus of two years, ITB Berlin is back on track with a brand new theme, titled, “Open for Change” which is ironic as all borders have not opened up and in many ways different than before. 7th to 9th March 2023, the travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity across the globe gather together to network, understand, learn the new ropes, and initiate business for this new era of tourism. Deborah Rothe, Exhibition Director, ITB Berlin, shares with TTME. “With the motto of this year’s ITB Berlin “Open for Change,” the world’s leading travel trade show celebrates its live comeback from 7 to 9 March in Berlin.  As a pure B2B show, it now has a duration of three days for buyers, trade visitors, exhibitors and media. As usual, the tourism industry’s most important Think Tank, the ITB Berlin Convention will also be held in parallel with the trade show under the motto “Mastering Transformation”. In terms of the number of exhibitors she responded, “We are very satisfied with the current booking status – more than 90 percent of space is fully booked, and we are still receiving exhibitor registrations at short notice. At the moment we count more than 4.500 exhibitors from over 150 countries, not including companies to be represented by exhibitors that are not on site. The ticket sales for trade visitors are in full swing, and the general profile of trade visitors is high. The ITB Buyers Circle, for example, an exclusive community for top-tier buyers with backgrounds in corporate, leisure, business travel, or MICE, has already more than 1,500submissions from buyers. These are reviewed manually, based on fixed criteria, and are currently being approved one …

Tourism Malaysia boost its promotion activities in Iran by participating in the 16th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition (TITEX) which was concluded last week. This provided a platform to reconnect and further develop more partnership in positioning Malaysia as a preferred destination for Iranians. This four-day exhibition features networking sessions between travel experts, tourism and hospitality sectors that are based in Iran. Tourism Malaysiais participation in TITEX this year sees six tourism industry players from Malaysia including travel agensts, hotels and airlines namely BetterBooking Travel & Tour, Toranj Tour and Travel Company, Gulliver Tour and Travel Company, Siahrood Holiday Sdn. Bhd., IOI Cluster Hotels and Air Arabia. Malaysia’s participation in the exhibition provided an avenue for Malaysia tourism industry players to network and solicit for new business with the Iran counterparts. It is also a platform to update industry players of Malaysia’s latest tourism developments and strengthen awareness on Malaysia as an ideal holiday destination for this market. Furthermore, TITEX will also gave visitors an insight to the many exciting packages and to promote some of the country’s latest attractions and destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Genting Highlands and Penang for shopping, family fun and theme parks. Last year’s road show to Tehran which was led by the Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Hj Zainuddin Abdul Wahab in May  2022, together with Malaysian travel trade players and officials validated that Malaysia maintains as one of the top of the mind travel destinations for this region. Tourism Malaysia’s promotion campaign as such is a continuous effort to boost inbound tourism to a greater height in the hope to achieve 15.6 million international tourist arrivals with MYR 47.6 billion in tourism receipts …

After a break caused by the pandemic, the 19th Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair AITF 2023 will reopen its doors at Baku Expo Center from 4 to 6 April. The organiser of the event is the Caspian Event Organisers company. Traditionally one of the leading events in the tourism sector of the entire region, the AITF exhibition brings together the leading players in the industry, provides them with the opportunity to establish new contacts, significantly expand the geography of sales and learn about the latest innovations and trends in the tourism industry. The AITF 2023 exhibition will bring together companies from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cuba, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and other countries. The visiting card of the AITF exhibition are national stands, this year such countries as Belarus, Croatia, Poland, and others will exhibit them. Bulgaria, which is a permanent participant of the exhibition, will be the general sponsor of AITF 2023 this year. The exhibition will cover the following areas: Outbound tourism Domestic tourism Inbound tourism AITF 2023 will feature relevant sectors such as: medical tourism, educational tourism, overseas real estate, sports tourism, information technology in tourism, hunting and fishing, cruise ships, airlines, national and regional tourism authorities, ministries, embassies, travel agencies and tour operators. A rich business program awaits participants and visitors. Traditionally, within the framework of the exhibition, bilateral business meetings (B2B) will be held, at which representatives of domestic and foreign companies will discuss ways of cooperation and other forms of partnership in person. AITF 2023 is a long-awaited event for professionals in the tourism industry, as international and local companies will have the opportunity to …

Qatar Tourism (QT) represented the State of Qatar in the 16th edition of the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition (TITE) 2023. As the first participation, QT’s booth included trade partners Qatar Airways, as well as The Torch Doha, Travel Designer WLL, Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, and Banana Island Doha Resort. The tourism exhibition, which concluded at the Tehran International Permanent Fairground, presented the ideal opportunity for Qatar to highlight the latest developments in its tourism industry and showcase its newest tourism and hospitality offerings. In addition, it provided a platform for Qatar to network with prominent travel operators, agencies, and airlines in Iran, to increase business-to-business and business-to-consumer awareness on Qatar and provide an update on the destination’s offering. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said: “Iran is one of 15 target markets identified by Qatar Tourism as a primary source for visitors looking to relax, rejuvenate and take in Qatar’s vibrant culture. Participating in TITE allows us to share with sellers in Iran the information they need to expand and promote tourism opportunities to Qatar for their local, resident population. Initiatives such as these are important to help Qatar Tourism achieve its 2030 strategy, which aims to increase the number of visitors to Qatar by threefold, increase spending by 3 to 4 times, and grow the GDP contribution of the tourism sector to 12% by 2030.” Visitors to the Qatar pavilion (Hall 41 – Booth 18) were invited to learn about Qatar’s unique culture, beautiful outdoor spaces, and warm hospitality, all while exploring some of the newest attractions and favourable travel regulations that are set to boost the visitor experience.

With an aim to maintain strong visibility in India, Saudi has announced an exciting lineup of trade engagements, including roadshows in major Indian cities and participation in prominent trade events. The strategy follows Saudi Tourism Authority’s (STA) ongoing efforts to increase awareness about Saudi as a unique, diverse, authentic tourism destination and ultimately, drive visits, as one of the key priority source markets for the country. Saudi is gearing up to take part in One World Travel Market (OTM) from 2nd -4th February 2023 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. This will be followed by two roadshows in Mumbai and Ahmedabad on 6th and 7th February, respectively. Saudi will also mark its presence at the 30th edition of South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), which will be held from 9th -11th February 2023 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR. “India is a key source market for Saudi and over the past 18 months, we have both established and deepened relationships with key trade partners, to inspire them about the breadth and depth of the country’s offering and to reinforce our commitment to helping them grow their businesses,” said Alhasan Aldabbagh, President – APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority. “The Saudi destination offering is unparalleled. Authentic Arabian culture, rich heritage, unique landscapes and a rapidly expanding entertainment and lifestyle scene is at the heart of what Saudi offers the Indian traveler and our role is to support our partners, to showcase the new, undiscovered experiences and unlock the wealth of opportunity the destination presents.” “These engagements are critical in helping us achieve our ambitious goals, to drive volume and growth. The roadshow and trade events will provide a platform …

At the 5th edition of the Dubai Global Wedding Excellence (GWE) retreat and forum recently where the event provides a platform for representatives from the wedding, lifestyle and events sectors to network, share ideas and exchange best practices it was shared that Dubai is fast emerging as the city of choice for destination weddings, with a growing number of wedding and event planners across the world recommending the city to couples as the perfect venue to celebrate their weddings. The city’s world-class infrastructure, picturesque resorts, luxury hospitality offerings, services, exceptional track record for safety, and diverse tourism attractions have made it the ideal destination for organising memorable social events. People across the world are increasingly choosing Dubai to celebrate not only weddings but also milestone celebrations and personal occasions. With the availability of highly-skilled wedding and event planners, its distinctive locations, eclectic culinary scene, cultural diversity, and unmatched packages for all budgets, Dubai offers a special experience for wedding couples and guests. As part of efforts to showcase Dubai as a hub for destination weddings, the city hosted the 5th edition of the Dubai Global Wedding Excellence (GWE) retreat and forum from January 9-10. The event drew wide participation from industry and destination experts, event and wedding planners and companies specialised in providing wedding facilities and services Laila Suhail, CEO of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships Sector, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, commented: “We are proud to highlight Dubai’s world class proposition as the city of choice for destination weddings in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the …