Tag Archives: ATM

Generation X, those people born between 1965 and 1980 – are leading the significant growth in outbound travel from the GCC countries, according to findings by New York headquartered Research Nester. The report highlights numerous reasons why this generation has a dominant share of the GCC’s outbound market, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets. The GCC outbound market is forecast to grow exponentially over the next five years, driven by Gen X travellers, according to recent research, says Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which takes place from 6-9 May at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Commenting on the report, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market said, “Within an age range of approximately 43 years to 58 years, many Gen Xers hold senior positions within companies and as such tend to travel overseas regularly on business trips. “In addition, with responsibility comes reward and therefore many have high earning potential and disposable income. Many successful entrepreneurs at this stage in their careers also have built significant wealth and can afford to travel frequently. “Many industry commentators are focused on Millennial and Gen Z travelers, but it is perfectly logical that Gen X would dominate the GCC outbound market value given the region’s demographics, particularly expatriate senior management.” Members of Gen X are also changing their lifestyles, with considerable numbers now looking for a more sustainable work life balance. This often means spending more leisure time with their families, including holidays and combining business with leisure, which is significantly growing the bleisure segment of travel. To illustrate these points, Gen X will be responsible for $11.1 billion, 41% of Saudi Arabia’s total outbound market value of $27 billion by 2028 …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) announced a strategic partnership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) for the upcoming edition of the event, which takes place from 6-9 May 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The renowned global organisations have been appointed as ‘Knowledge Partners’ for the regional trade show, providing in-depth insights and opportunities for the thriving segments of business events and travel. According to the ICCA statistical forecast, which charts the history and performance of the International Association Meetings Industry from 1963 to 2022, 10,602 business events were recorded worldwide last year, of which 9,009 (85%) were in-person. This represented an astounding 349% increase from the previous year when only 2,007 in-person events occurred. Interestingly, the Middle East accounted for the highest percentage of in-person delegates (94%) in last year’s official figures. The business travel industry is also experiencing significant growth, as evidenced by statistics from the 2023 GBTA Business Travel Index™ Report, which found that the global business travel industry rebounded faster than expected in 2023. Pent-up demand following the pandemic and healthier economic conditions than forecasted were highlighted as significant contributing factors for this shift. The report also stated that global business travel spending rose by 47% to $1.03 trillion last year and is expected to grow to nearly $1.8 trillion globally by 2027. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “All of the latest research suggests that the business events and business travel sectors are going from strength to strength. These sectors have always been important verticals at ATM, and the official partnership with ICCA and GBTA for the 2024 edition will take our offering to …

Arabian Travel Market has unveiled its next theme: ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship.’ The 31st edition of the show will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 May 2024. Over the last 15 years, the travel and tourism industry has secured only 1 percent of total funding for startups across all industries, according to analysis from McKinsey. This is despite the fact that the sector accounted for more than 10 percent of global GDP in 2019. With exhibitors from the fields of aviation, accommodation, hospitality, attractions, technology and more, ATM 2024 will explore how innovators in the travel and tourism space are working to attract greater levels of funding to further increase the sector’s overall contribution to global GDP. The 31st edition of ATM will once again host policymakers, industry leaders and travel professionals from across the Middle East and beyond, encouraging them to forge new relationships, exchange knowledge and identify innovations with the potential to reshape the future of global travel and tourism. From startups to established brands, the upcoming show will highlight how innovators are enhancing customer experiences, driving efficiencies and accelerating progress towards a net-zero future for the industry. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The Middle East’s travel and tourism sector has demonstrated impressive resilience and growth in recent years, but we must continue to innovate and adapt in order to achieve the industry’s long-term goals. Thanks to ATM 2024’s theme, ‘Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, we have a golden opportunity to showcase expert insights, cutting-edge technologies and commercial opportunities with the potential to completely reshape the sector.” Building on ATM 2023’s theme of ‘Working Towards Net …

More than 40,000 people – including 30,000 visitors – attended the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which concluded last week in Dubai, UAE. This not only represents a year-on-year increase of 29% in attendees compared to 2022, it also represents a 5% increase over 2019, establishing a new record for the show, demonstrating that the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector is booming. In line with ATM 2023’s theme, ‘Working Towards Net Zero’, more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 150 countries gathered at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) to explore how the industry can ensure sustainable travel for future generations. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “My colleagues and I are thrilled that so many tourism professionals were able to join us in Dubai to celebrate the 30th edition of the show and shine a spotlight on our sector’s ongoing journey to net zero. The fact that we witnessed record attendance at ATM 2023 is extremely encouraging and a strong indication that the Middle East’s travel industry is once again in excellent shape.” To mark three decades of ATM, there were a number of special events on the agenda during the four-day exhibition. Hilton won the inaugural Sustainable Stand Award. Selected by an independent panel of judges, the hospitality brand was chosen for its decision to use a local supplier in the creation of its stand as well as its commitment to repurposing materials as much as possible over the coming three years. Hilton also used a carbon calculator to measure the carbon footprint associated with its involvement in the show and has taken steps to mitigate this output. The prestigious Pearl Award was …

Holiday Factory announced the launch of its new brand, “Holiday Factory Premium”, at the highly anticipated event, Arabian Travel Market 2023 last week. “The UAE market has a unique demographic landscape with an exponentially growing expat population. The region has experienced rapid economic growth, which has resulted in an increase in the disposable income of its residents. Which in turn has created a surge in demand for Premium holidays,” – says Namrata Bhatia, Director of Marketing at Holiday Factory. “Research of the UAE market suggests that 1/3rd of the population is seeking premium holidays and is underserved with all-inclusive packages at the right price”, – says Sandra Daemmrich, General Manager. After successfully serving the UAE middle-class segment with unbeatably priced holiday packages, Holiday Factory is now set to reshape the “Premium” outbound travel industry with its exciting selection of popular & unexplored destinations such as Switzerland, Italy, Maldives, Northern lights of Scandinavia with an Ice Igloo experience and many others. Holiday packages include direct flights with all local airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai and others, as well as reputed international airlines, and premium hotels, transfers, insurance, and curated daily expert-guided tours – to allow UAE residents truly experience the destination the Premium Way! Customers can choose to travel in a small group of like-minded travellers for a more affordable option or travel privately for the ultimate exclusive experience. “73% of Premium holiday seekers residing in the emirates are looking for all-inclusive holiday packages, and 95% of those end up booking by themselves. It’s a long, tedious process of endlessly researching and creating a self-itinerary which ends up being expensive,” said Ekaterina Malikova, Product Manager at Holiday Factory Premium. “As …

Big data is having a transformative effect on hospitality across the Middle East and beyond. However, leading hoteliers speaking on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will run at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until Thursday 4 May, emphasised that human intervention remains essential if owners and operators wish to derive genuine value from the information being gathered. ‘Hospitality Debate: What More Can Big Data Unlock?’ featured a range of expert insights into the power of data to improve guest experiences within the Middle East’s hospitality sector. Moderated by Paul Clifford, Group Editor – Hospitality & Design at ITP Media Group, the session saw Chris Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance; Tommy Lai, Chief Executive Officer at General Hotel Management Pte Ltd; Sandeep Walia, Chief Operations Officer – Middle East at Marriott; and Nicolas Huss, CEO of Hotelbeds, take to the ATM Global Stage to share their views. Commenting on advancements in the hospitality sector’s data capabilities over the past decade, General Hotel Management Pte Ltd’s Lai said: “It used to be you’d need a lot of people for analysis, but now, you can collect data and AI will decipher it for you. Big data and AI are evening the playing field between small groups and larger brands.” Speaking on the importance of interpretation, Marriott’s Walia said: “This technology can help guests to narrow down the hotels they would like to stay in,” noting that big data – when used in combination with AI – can help to identify the best options for customers. “But ultimately, guests have to connect with us to make the booking, so the balance between AI and the human touch is …

Cruise Saudi will join global travel professionals to consider the future of the travel and tourism industry and create business opportunities during the four-day showcase. This year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), held at Dubai’s World Trade Centre, has seen a 27% YOY rise from 2022 in exhibitor participation making it the largest professional tourism event in the region. Speaking ahead of ATM, Cruise Saudi’s CEO, Lars Clasen said: “Arabian Travel Market is the leading international travel and tourism trade event in the GCC. Cruise Saudi is confident in unlocking further business potential throughout our participation and we look forward to being present alongside leading industry stakeholders and peers.” Cruise Saudi’s objective is to contribute to Saudi’s tourism industry growth through attracting 1.3 million cruise passenger visits by 2035, in line with Vision 2030’s plan to increase total GDP from the tourism sector to 10%.  Mr. Clasen confirmed that he was excited to showcase Cruise Saudi’s rapid growth and how it supports Saudi’s position as a prominent new tourism destination. “Saudi offers superior connectivity to the rest of the world – approximately 250 million people in Europe, Asia and Africa, live within a three-hour flight from the Red Sea or Arabian Gulf.” “Cruise Saudi has been spearheading the development of a fully integrated, world-class cruise industry in the country,” Mr. Clasen continued. Since the company’s launch in 2021, Cruise Saudi has completed two successful cruising seasons and is more than halfway through its third season, opening areas of Saudi previously untouched by international tourism. Mr. Clasen outlined Cruise Saudi’s expansion plans adding: “With the support of the government and our partners, we have been able to develop three ports – Jeddah …

Rezlive, Turning Point and TravTalk Middle East will be hosting a networking evening in Dubai on 2nd May for the agents who will be making their way to the Arabian Travel Market this year. As the world meets for the first time after many bumpy years, these three key partners have joined together to ensure that the travel trade could experience excursions such as dune bashing, exotic belly dancing, fire show ending with a gala dinner on the sands of the desert in Dubai.

Central Hotels & Resorts is participating in this year’s edition of Arabian Travel Market from the 1st to the 4th of May, to highlight its ongoing sustainability practices and announce upcoming summer promotions. In line with the main theme of ATM 2023 which is “Working Towards Net Zero”, visitors and exhibitors can get insights into the sustainability activities across the properties of Central Hotels & Resorts including single-use plastics, energy-saving lighting and utilities and many more. “Truly sustainable and responsible tourism should make destinations better for people to live in and well as visit. This is what we are aiming to achieve across our properties and there’s no better platform to share our goals and vision that at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Key industry leaders and stakeholders from various sectors including destinations, travel platforms, airlines, hospitality, online travel agencies, and hotels will be attending the event so we will be learning from each other,” explains Abdulla Al Abdulla, COO, and Group General Manager. The leading global event for the travel industry in the Middle East will explore how innovative sustainable travel trends will evolve and also identify strategies for growth within specific key vertical sectors. Along with other announcements, Central Hotels & Resorts will unveil its upcoming summer promotions, valid at C Central Resort The Palm, Royal Central Hotel The Palm and Canal Central Hotel Business Bay. Central Hotels & Resorts is keen on attracting guests from all markets including the USA, Canada, Italy, Australia, China and other European countries. “We have observed a strong recovery in the UAE’s hospitality industry following the pandemic based on recent statistics, occupancy rates, and investments. However, there will always be some challenges …

Representatives from more than 80 of the world’s leading travel technology companies are preparing to exhibit at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 May. Over 2,000m2 of exhibition space will be dedicated to industry technology during the 30th edition of ATM, representing a 54.7% increase in sector participation compared to last year’s show. ATM 2023’s Travel Tech space will also be supplemented by a brand-new Sustainability Hub, which will shine a spotlight on the latest environmentally responsible travel trends and innovations. The ATM Travel Tech Stage sponsored by Sabre, will host a selection of in-depth panel discussions that will explore how modern innovations such as artificial intelligence, big data and Web3 are enabling seamless operations, professional development, payments, accessibility, sustainable travel and enhanced customer experiences. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “My colleagues and I are delighted to see such strong representation from travel technology professionals at this year’s show. Encouraging innovation is especially pertinent to ATM 2023 as it is a crucial component of our theme, ‘Working Towards Net Zero’. It is essential for our industry to support and invest in the most promising technologies today in order to build a better and more sustainable travel sector for future generations.” Sponsored by Sabre, the ATM Travel Tech Stage will host a series of innovation-centric discussions and events throughout the show. The first session, ‘Technology: The Enabler of Sustainable Travel’, will see industry experts discuss how online tools are making it easier for consumers to mitigate their environmental impact when purchasing and planning trips. Moderated by Shashank Nigam, Founder and CEO of …