Tag Archives: ATM 2021

During the virtual element of the 28th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Co-Founder and CEO Douglas Quinby, Co-Founder and CEO, Arival shared exclusive Arival research carried out with 1500 respondents on the outlook for tours, activities, attractions, and key trends shaping the sector’s revival post-COVID-19 pandemic. According to the research, although Global Gross Bookings in tours, activities, and attractions in 2020 were down by 80%, which is hardly a surprise, the impact of the downturn was uneven with mixed experiences across regions and variations from market to market. Arival’s research identified that almost all operators (99%) implemented health and safety measures and that in a sector that previously lagged 10-15 years behind the travel and tourism industry in digitisation, there has been rapid adoption of technologies for online booking. Virtual tours were also a popular way for platforms to try and stay connected to their customers and generate some revenue. However, only 16% of operators tried to launch virtually, with mixed results. The research also found that as travel resumes, self-guided tours and experiences will become a viable alternative to large group experiences. Addressing delegates online during ATM Virtual 2021, Quinby said: “This sector of travel will come back, as will the rest of the travel and tourism industry. However, as much as the impact of the downturn has been uneven for the sector, so will the recovery. What we expect to see is that recovery is hyper-local and very specific to destination and segment.” Meanwhile, Emaar Entertainment’s CEO Zeina Dagher, who is responsible for the strategy of some of Dubai’s top attractions, including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, KidZania, and Burj Khalifa, shared how attractions have adapted …

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and leading Indian online travel agency Travel Boutique Online (TBO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop destination knowledge of Saudi through new, innovative programs on the TBO Academy platform, reaching 90,000 agents globally and targeting 25,000 visitors by 2022. “Saudi is driving a new model of tourism for the twenty-first century,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority. “This year’s ATM demonstrated the recognition by major global travel industry players of the tremendous opportunities our dynamic and growing tourism industry offers.” More than 20 Saudi partners converged at the Saudi exhibitor stand, which witnessed over 890 meetings and a flurry of deals between the country’s leading travel companies and international tourism partners, showcasing the fast-expanding offering of one of the world’s newest leisure travel destinations. “Partnerships with the world’s major tourism players are transforming Saudi’s great ambition as a leisure tourism destination into reality, so we were thrilled to see so much positive movement at ATM. We thank ATM’s organizers for the opportunity to showcase Saudi’s iconic places, profound experiences and unparalleled hospitality to the region and the world,” said Fahd Hamidaddin. The activity at the show mirrored the impressive growth of Saudi’s tourism ecosystem. The number of local DMCs has expanded from 17 in the summer of 2019 to 72 today. MSC Cruises will launch two Red Sea itineraries in the fall with Saudi home ports, and major hotel brands including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Accor Group will join IHG in expanding their footprint in Saudi.

Emirates has pledged its support to tourism in Indonesia through a Memorandum of Commitment (MoC) outlining joint marketing activities to promote the country. The MoC was signed at Arabian Travel Market 2021, by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – Far East at Emirates and Nia Niscaya, Deputy Minister for Marketing, the Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia. Also present at the signing ceremony was K. Candra Negara, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia for Dubai and the Northern Emirates and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer. With Indonesia being an important part of the Emirates network since 1992, both parties will partner on joint campaigns that will benefit the airline and tourism for the Indonesian destinations and showcase their appeal to visitors and holiday-makers. Based on the long-standing and fruitful relationship that Emirates has shared with Indonesia over the years and the success of its routes to Jakarta and Bali, Emirates hopes to build on achievements so far and support in the recovery phase as restrictions ease in addition to providing valuable contributions to the country’s tourism sector. By forging the new partnership, both parties have committed to strengthening the relationship through collaborations on strategies and marketing initiatives that will showcase what the destinations have to offer and positively impact its tourism industry and economy. The agreement will see marketing activities including support for attendance of tourism trade shows and fairs, trade familiarization trips, product presentations and workshops, advertising campaigns, the provision of logistical support, amongst others, to be undertaken jointly by Emirates and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, as Indonesia is gearing up …

German National Tourist Board’s (GNTB) has launched its latest campaign, German.Local.Culture., on the back of a successful Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2021) participation which stimulated strong interest from GCC travel representatives. As one of Germany’s top three source markets, which registered more than 1.6 million overnight stays in 2019, the GCC is a key focus for the tourism board, who led a delegation of six tourism partners during the first live travel exhibition in Dubai this week. “The relationship between the GCC and Germany remains extremely strong, and with the announcement earlier about changes to quarantine regulations, we are optimistic for a swift traveller recovery from the region,” said Yamina Sofo, Director of Sales & Marketing, German National Tourist Office (GNTO), the regional office of GNTB. “The new campaign, German.Local.Culture., will not only showcase the very best that Germany and our regions has to offer, but will further showcase the destination as a must visit.” “The German.Local.Culture. campaign addresses the increased longing of travellers for authenticity and traditions and gives insights into German customs from handicrafts to local and regionally typical dishes,” Petra Hedorfer, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the GNTB, said. Commenting on the success of ATM, Robert Lekel, Marketing Manager at Munich Tourism, said: “It was great being at ATM this year, we are able to be visible and show future and returning customers, and travellers, that we are waiting for them and hopeful for flights again. We felt the positive spirit between everyone, we are very happy to connect once again.” His thoughts were echoed by Cornelia Stahr, Head of Global Marketing at Baden-Baden Tourism, who added: “I am very happy the Arabian Travel Market could …

IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of a Master Development Agreement (MDA) with RIVA Development Company via its wholly owned subsidiary RIVA Hospitality for Hotel Services Company to open at least 7 hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across IHG’s portfolio of brands. The announcement was made at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 in Dubai. The 5-year agreement will add to IHG’s portfolio across key brands in the country in cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Eastern Province, Abha, Hail, Qassim and Tabuk. Most hotels under the agreement are expected to be greenfield projects and will represent the best in class products. The agreement also presents the potential to extend the partnership for another 5 years to develop an additional 12 hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Speaking on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG said, “We are excited to partner with RIVA Development Company as we strengthen our offering in Saudi Arabia. We have a strong legacy in the Kingdom and are committed to leveraging the growth opportunities that focus on aligning with Saudi’s vision 2030 and the priority destinations highlighted in the Saudi Tourism Strategy, by expanding our presence across the country through our portfolio of global brands. With a number of recent signings in Saudi Arabia, across our brands such as InterContinental, Holiday Inn, voco and Crowne Plaza, we are growing our presence with best-in-class products, experiences and services, that attract both domestic and international visitors, as well as Saudi talent as part of our support to the government’s “Tawteen” program.  We also look forward to introducing new brands from our global portfolio to the Saudi market, and …

As Saudi Arabia forges ahead with Vision 2030, with tourism earmarked as a key economic driver, tourism and travel leaders from the Kingdom convened at the ATM 2021 Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit on the Global Stage to discuss the strategy’s positive repercussions for the country, its people, investors and millions of global travellers. Addressing a capacity crowd at the in-person ATM 2021, the region’s largest travel and tourism showcase, were Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, Majed Alnefaie, Acting CEO of Seera, Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), and Dr Afnan Al Shuaiby, Founder and CEO of FNN International and Chair of the Arab International Women’s Forum. The audience heard how Saudi Arabia is preparing to reopen its borders for foreign tourists imminently, and it is well on its way to realising its ambition for attracting 100 million tourists per year by 2030. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of Saudi Tourism Authority, discussed the Kingdom’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, having just opened up to international tourism in September 2019: “While the travel and tourism sector was paralysed globally, Saudi Arabia kept moving. Although the priority was to save lives, we were also committed to protecting livelihoods and saving jobs through our successful domestic tourism campaign, which resulted in a 33% increase in spending, hotel occupancy was at 50%, and the number of Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) within the Kingdom increased from 17 to 93.” Discussing the outlook for SAUDIA, CEO Captain Ibrahim Koshy said, “There are many things taking place in Saudi Arabia that will accelerate a return to profit for the airline. We will come out much leaner and stronger as a business, with expected profitability in 2024, …

The 28th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the region’s largest travel and tourism showcase, returned to Dubai in-person to shine the spotlight on Tourism For a Brighter Future during the opening session at ATM’s Global Stage. With 2021 ushering in a new dawn for travel and tourism, leading industry figureheads from around the world kicked off the discussion on the ATM Global Stage as they explored factors delivering the sector’s fast-paced recovery. Vaccinations, market segmentation and innovations in tech, travel corridors, marketing and product diversification were all highlighted as drivers for significant recovery by 2023. Addressing the audience this morning, His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said, “To see true recovery in travel and tourism, countries need to accept that COVID-19 exists and that we need to learn to live the new COVID-19 normal. “Since the beginning, Dubai has shown remarkable resilience in dealing with the pandemic. Taking decisive action at the right time, using all the data available to us as a smart city to make decisions, and opening the economy sector by sector, with the right precautions being taken at each stage, has enabled the gradual recovery of the travel and tourism industry and allowed the city to open its borders to both domestic and international travel. “With the number of COVID-19 cases stabilising, due to high vaccination rates and some of the highest testing rates in the world, we can expect to see further easing of restrictions in Dubai in the near future,” he added. Other notable speakers on the panel were Dr Taleb Rifai, Chairman ITIC & Former Secretary General United Nations World Tourism Organization …

Experience Hub is drawing on this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to highlight the destination’s readiness as it looks forward to welcoming back regional and international travellers to the award-winning island. With excellent safety measures, new attractions, and enhanced summer packages, Yas Island Abu Dhabi is guaranteed to be the preferred destination for global visitors of all ages. Liam Findley, General Manager, Experience Hub said, “Arabian Travel Market is the perfect opportunity for us to reconnect with the travel trade in a long-awaited physical setting and highlight the extensive work we have done behind the scenes to prepare for the opening of international markets. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our teams across the island have responded vigilantly to ensure the wellbeing of our guests and staff, and we are proud to say that we are one of the safest destinations in the world for travel. Building on this foundation, we have pushed ahead with our new developments and demonstrated a world-leading framework for the staging of major sports and entertainment events. The only way is up for Yas Island as the world makes headway in global inoculation and we strive to rebuild the travel and tourism sector. We are delighted to be able to support the trade with an enhanced product offering that will undoubtedly be a huge draw for global customers”.

Etihad Airways will give away 10,000 prizes this week during Arabian Travel Market (ATM) taking place live in the UAE. The prizes form part of the airline’s commitment to giving away 50,000 prizes throughout the year in celebration of the UAE’s 50th Anniversary. Everyone signed up to the airline’s UAE 50 campaign will automatically be entered into the draw. Registering is simple and can be done at etihad.com/UAE50 or on the Etihad stand at ATM. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo, Etihad Airways, said, “Etihad is excited to be participating in ATM live this year, which is an important indicator of the UAE’s ability to host events safely. To mark the occasion, and in celebration of the UAE’s golden anniversary, the airline is giving away a phenomenal number of prizes this week and Etihad encourages everyone to take part in Etihad’s UAE50 campaign.” The prizes include free Business class flights, up to 50,000 bonus Etihad Guest Miles per winner, and travel vouchers. The winners will be announced on etihad.com and on the large screens at the Etihad stand at ATM. Winners will be notified by email in the coming weeks. Visitors who play the ‘Guess and Win’ game by Etihad Holidays at ATM will be in to win a one-night stay at a 5-star hotel in Abu Dhabi. Participating hotels include Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort and more. Signing up to Etihad’s UAE50 can be done with just a name and email address and is free to join. Throughout the golden jubilee year, Etihad will launch a number of activities and collaborations, from spotlighting …

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group and chairman of Dubai World, officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 today, marking the start of the 28th edition of the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition. HH Sheikh Ahmed was accompanied by HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Claude Blanc, WTM & IBTM Portfolio Director; Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, ATM and other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the show floor as the four-day event got underway at DWTC. Taking place from 16 to 19 May, this year’s event has 1,300 exhibitors from 62 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, underscoring the strength of our reach. ATM 2021’s show theme is appropriately ‘A New Dawn for Travel & Tourism’ and spread across nine halls. Consistent with the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time. The event will once again play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day long festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online. In addition to the in-person Arabian Travel Market event, the travel events that are part of Arabian Travel Week are: travel technology exhibition Travel Forward, ARIVAL Dubai for the tours and attractions sector, GBTA’s half day virtual business travel conference, ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit and regionally focused buyer groups including …