Tag Archives: ATM

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 …

Industry experts will gather in the UAE to discuss sustainable decision-making and financing during the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) Middle East Tourism Investment Session at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 May. Saudi Arabia is leading the GCC’s tourism development activities with a pipeline of 100,071 hotel rooms, according to data released by STR. Dubai is the region’s second most active market with 27,095 rooms under contract, followed by Qatar (17,145), Oman (10,292), Bahrain (3,452) and Kuwait (1,369). In total, there are 159,424 pipeline rooms under contract in the Gulf at present. Related opportunities and challenges will be placed under the microscope throughout ATM 2023, thanks to a range of panel discussions and events related to industry financing. In addition to the ITIC panels, this year’s show will feature sessions highlighting industry-critical issues such as travel tech investment, the contemporary geopolitical landscape, urban regeneration, future markets, space tourism and more. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “With nearly 160,000 hotel rooms under development across the GCC, this region is undoubtedly a global hotspot for industry investment right now. Thanks to the participation of ITIC and a host of other finance-related sessions, ATM 2023 represents the ideal forum for travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world to explore the latest investment opportunities and novel financing models with some of the biggest names in our sector.” Taking place on day three of ATM 2023, the ‘ITIC Tourism Investment Session: Making Sustainable Decisions’ will feature insights from an array of industry experts. The sessions will begin with a tourism economic outlook …

The Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) concluded its participation in the 29th Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre last week, where leading institutions from the travel and tourism sector gathered to discuss the future of the industry and explore opportunities. The Authority is heading the Sharjah Pavilion at ATM 2022, bringing together 24 entities from the emirate – seven government departments and 17 private entities from tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors – to shed light on Sharjah’s strategies and plans to enhance global confidence in the local tourism market in the recovery stages post-pandemic, as well as to promote major new tourism projects that will attract new categories of visitors and markets to the UAE and the Emirate of Sharjah, in particular. His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, said: “The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority participated in this prominent event – one of the largest exhibitions in the region to focus on the travel and tourism sector. The event recorded a significant turnout from visitors, participants, and exhibitors, which is a positive indicator that the recovery of this vital sector is well under way. Tourism is a leading sector in national economies around the world, including in the UAE, and we look forward to seeing notable improvements in the coming period as aviation and travel return to normal, and given the strong dedication to enhance tourism offerings and provide high-quality services to travellers,” H.E. explained, asserting that the Authority will continue its efforts, in collaboration with its strategic partners, to develop the tourism sector in Sharjah and ensure its sustainability. The SCTDA pavilion at ATM 2022 hosted …

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, …

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 …

ZOYA Health & Wellbeing Resort opened in Ajaman; nestled within a prime location at Al Zorah, between the mangroves and calming blue waters, an ultimate well-being oasis. This first of its kind  health and well-being resort was unveiled at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which took place from the 16th to the 19th of May. Explore all that ZOYA has to offer as it presents its vision to select media, offering an exclusive introduction of what’s to come. Make sure that you secure your slot to be one of the first to experience ZOYA as it unveils its selection of treatments and tailor-made, wellness journeys. Operated by well-known German Spa & Health business specialist, Premedion, ZOYA’s 5-star holistic Wellbeing Resort provides the perfect mix of a luxury spa experience and an in-depth health retreat. The Premedion name stands for extraordinary spas and health centres worldwide. Their combination of spa expertise, preventive and medical competence is integrated into the unique and tailor made ZOYA offering. Born from the imagination of forward-thinking, Mr Ameer Said, who after sadly losing two members of his family to cancer, decided he wanted to “address the ailments of the modern world” and to encourage people to take a more preventative rather than curative approach to their health. What makes the ZOYA experience so exclusive is its holistic approach; this is the only resort globally to offer an all in one health and wellness experience, meaning that they actually spend time focussing on every element of your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Each visit is considered a journey – to start, you’ll have a consultation with either a doctor or wellness practitioner, and you’ll then be …