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Prominent tourism figures will be participating in-person at the opening session of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Global Stage 2021 – ‘Tourism for a brighter future’ which is being held on Sunday 16 May 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The line-up includes foremost speakers, such as His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary-General of the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics Middle East and Thoyyib Mohamed, Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. The four-day conference will address a broad range of topics, from travel and health, as well as dedicated forums on China, Saudi Arabia and India, plus a dedicated hotel summit, looking at the changing roles of hotels and the changing hospitality landscape. The Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit will discuss the Vision 2030 strategy’s positive repercussions, the ambitious megaprojects and how the country is setting new global industry benchmarks. It will feature high-level experts including Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), Dr. Afnan Alshuaiby, Founder & CEO of FNN International and Chairperson of Arab international Women’s Forum, Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority and John Pagano, CEO, Red Sea Development Company. Commenting, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The general theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the opening session will get the show, off to a positive, practical and optimistic start. “Undoubtedly, discussion on the show floor will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, social and travel restrictions and …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has reconfirmed that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase, will go-ahead in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May, as final preparations are being put in place, in particular health and safety. In addition to Reed Exhibitions’ Global COVID-19 ‘Safety Shows’ Health & Safety strategy, ATM is working closely with the team at the Dubai World Trade Centre and with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to provide a safe, touchless and seamless experience for all. The show will strictly adhere to the health and safety guidelines set by the Dubai Government and followed by venue. The team at DWTC are working hard to ensure that all events run safely and have implemented a range of measures including an enhanced cleaning regime, improved air circulation and multiple hand sanitiser stations. Commenting, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of tourists at every stage and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to departure. More than 9 million doses have already been administered in the UAE, which is also a major achievement. “Indeed, Dubai’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety and its effective citywide management of the pandemic received a strong endorsement from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which gave the city a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp,” she added. “It is imperative that we include a virtual element to Arabian Travel Week because many industry professionals from around the world, cannot attend the in-person event …

Island resorts around the world will lead the recovery in leisure travel, according to research carried out ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, which will be in a hybrid format, with the in-person event taking place on 16-19 May at the Dubai World Trade Centre and the virtual event to be held the following week, on 24-26 May. “Both islands tick all of the proverbial boxes for tourists,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “Even though demand maybe pent-up, visitors will still want direct flights, easy access, reasonable restrictions, low COVID cases, good vaccination rates, open and in some cases isolated resorts, with a natural environment including quiet beaches,” added Curtis. “And after a standard temperature checks upon arrival at the hotel, guests in the Maldives can roam freely, they only need to wear a mask indoors, with similar restrictions applicable in Seychelles,” added Curtis. “With three weekly flights from Dubai, Cyprus is another interesting case and from April, it will welcome Israeli tourists who have had both vaccination doses,” said Curtis.

According to a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Reed Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, the amount of money that Middle East travellers spend on international leisure travel, will begin to exceed 2019 pre-COVID levels, in as little as three years. This is supported by forecast analysis carried out by Tourism Economics (TE). “This is very encouraging,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, which will take place in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) 16-19 May 2021. “In 2019, spending on international leisure travel in the Middle East was significant, representing 47% of the total overall travel spend, compared with 37% spent on domestic leisure travel and 8% each on international and domestic business travel. “In 2020, spending on international leisure travel was only 20% of the amount spent a year earlier. However, this year, spending compared with 2019, will recover to around 50%. It will increase to 75% in 2022 and 95% in 2023, until 2024, when spending in this segment will exceed pre-COVID levels by up to 10%,” added Curtis. “Leisure travel will lead the recovery, initially through domestic and short-haul travel, which peaked by as much as 85% of all overnight arrivals in the Middle East during 2020. This will gradually return to normal over the next four years at around 70%, as international travel becomes more popular and takes greater market share,” said Curtis.

Recent hospitality industry reports and analysis published by STR and Colliers International, have revealed that hotels in the UAE have put up a sterling performance, given the challenges of operating during the pandemic last year. To support the hotel industry still further during the vaccine rollout, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) 16-19 May 2021, is organising a Hotel Summit on Tuesday 18th May. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “According to STR data, the Middle East region was a top performer globally during 2020, with an average occupancy of 45.9%. One of the best-performing countries was the UAE with an average occupancy of 51.7% and an average daily rate (ADR) of $114. Although these figures were 29.3% & 16.5% down Y-on-Y, given the challenges presented by the pandemic, it is a remarkable achievement and proves just how resilient the hotel sector is in the UAE and wider Middle East. “Furthermore, if we drill down on these figures, ADR in Fujairah and RAK actually rose last year by 7% and 1% respectively, compared with 2019 and over the New Year’s celebrations hotels in Dubai were running average occupancies of 76% with an ADR of $300. I am certain that many hoteliers in the Middle East are now preparing for a V-shaped recovery, especially with the successful rollout of the vaccine and the ensuing herd immunity,” added Curtis. “Moreover, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also indicated that British nationals may be allowed to travel without any restrictions as soon as June 21st, which, given their close ties, would be a major boost for business and leisure travel …

Reed Exhibitions, organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) showcase in Dubai, has announced the return of Arabian Travel Week (ATW) between 16-26 May 2021. “This week-long festival of events is dedicated to travel professionals from all over world, to collaborate and shape the recovery of the Middle East travel industry, through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events,” Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “Essentially, Arabian Travel Week will provide a pivotal platform for the region’s travel and tourism industry, whether participating in-person at the events or virtually, over the course of 10 days – it will put a spotlight on Dubai, the UAE, GCC and of course the wider MENA   region’s tourism sector,” she added. “There will be a whole host of in-person seminars on ATM’s show floor specifically designed to support, inspire and innovate all travel and tourism professionals, looking at the latest trends in technology, sustainability and profiling the next generation of global travellers,” said Curtis. Ibrahim Ayoub, Group CEO, ITIC & Invest Tourism Ltd said, “We are delighted to host in partnership with ATM, our ITIC Middle East Tourism Investment Summits, in-person on Wednesday, 19th May and followed by our virtual summit, a week later on Thursday, 27th May. We will bring together hospitality, tourism and financial services leaders to discuss how the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry can position their businesses to be ready for the post COVID-19 recovery, through instituting and making strategic investments to rebuild the sector.” “This year’s theme of ‘A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism’ has never been more relevant nor important – this message of recovery will be integrated into all …

According to research conducted as well as commissioned by Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), many travel experts are expecting a surge in workations in 2021 and beyond, a trend that was apparent in 2019, but one which now has such pent-up demand due to the coronavirus travel restrictions. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, which will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) May 16-19, 2021, said, “The hotel industry in the Middle East has gradually started to recover, especially in places such as Dubai. Staycations created the initial demand after lockdown, the next step has been the continued growth of workations, which are also referred to as bleisure stays, which tend to bring in more visitors from overseas. Longer term, the ‘on the go’ executive will be a far more common sight in hotels, whether it’s Gen Z singletons, millennial professionals, or freelancers who can earn a living from a laptop,” added Curtis. “And on that point, as an example, Dubai has introduced a remote visa programme that would entitle visitors to stay for up to 12 months, with access to co-working spaces and government support services,” said Curtis. “Covid-19 has completely disrupted the traditional office culture and the hospitality sector has been quick to offer alternative solutions for those looking to combine working from home with leisure time. The introduction of the workation concept is not just a novel idea, it’s about making adjustments to meet the new market demands, allowing those who are not currently working from their office to enjoy a luxury hospitality experience whilst continuing their work commitments,” said Mark Kirby, COO of Emaar Hospitality. …

Recent ‘Global Holiday Intent’ survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has revealed that residents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are the most likely to make an international trip in 2021. The poll, which was conducted during October and November 2020, asked recipients if they were planning to make an international trip within the next 12 months and 48% of those polled in the UAE confirmed their intent to travel, with Saudi Arabia coming in a close second with 46% of respondents confirming their intent to travel abroad in 2021. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, which will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) May 16-19, 2021, said, “This survey was conducted before the most recent announcements about COVID-19 vaccines, so in many respects this is even better news for the Middle East’s aviation sector. Nearly half of those polled, confirmed that they intended to travel in 2021 and once vaccines have been rolled out around the world, those numbers can only increase.” “In terms of outbound travel, many expatriates will be looking for a relaxing holiday or hoping to travel home to see family and friends. In terms of inbound travel, it was welcome news that almost a third of Germans polled said that they intended to travel internationally – Germany is one of largest European feeder markets to the GCC, 1.8 million overnight stays in 2018. Indeed, over 316,000 Germans visited Dubai between January and June 2019. Much of the domestic travel in Asia will no doubt be linked to Chinese New Year, which is due to take place on February …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is expecting a huge influx of exhibitors and visitors from Israel and further afield, wanting to take full advantage of Israel’s participation in its first major travel event in the Middle East. ATM, which has already announced that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase, will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 16-19, has witnessed a massive spike, not only in enquiries from Israel, but from travel companies around the world that specialise in tours to that region. “Following the signing of the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalisation agreement, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is planning significant steps to promote Israel as a tourism destination in the UAE. This will include participating for the first time in the Arabian Travel Market with a large booth and a delegation of Israel tourism industry representatives, as well as attending high level conference sessions,” said Ksenia Kobiakov, Director of New Markets Development Department, Israel Ministry of Tourism. “The interest shown by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism as well as other travel professionals based in Israel and international operators specialising in tours to Israel, has been extraordinary. This is a brand new market for both inbound and outbound operators and will provide a much needed boost to regional and international travel,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “However, it is not just about direct travel between Israel and UAE and Bahrain,” she added. “Due to the burgeoning international flight network between El Al, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad and Gulf Air, there will be massive potential for two-centre holidays or stopovers, either during inbound or outbound legs. “Indeed, according to the Israel Ministry of …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has confirmed that Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman of the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) and former UNWTO Secretary-General will host a virtual summit as part of ATM Virtual. The summit, which is titled ‘Restructuring to Attract Sustainable Development and Customers in the New World Order’ will take place on Wednesday June 3 between 12.15pm – 1.45pm GST (9.15am – 10.45am BST). The session will examine sustainable investment measures for the Middle East travel and tourism sector and the strategies to restore travellers’ confidence post-pandemic. “We are living in unprecedented times for the tourism industry, which is facing its toughest challenge ever. Stay home means no travel, and no travel means no tourism. This ITIC summit is vital at this critical time and I am therefore pleased to be part of ATM Virtual, who I commend for facing the challenges and ensuring the industry is in direct contact during these difficult times,” said Dr. Rifai. The panel discussions will also focus on the part governments must play in helping sector recovery, the expectations of the industry going forward, and how travel and tourism businesses can plan for their financial future. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “We are delighted to be working with ITIC to reflect on the financial impact COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector and to garner their insights and advice on strategies to restore visitor confidence and how the industry can begin to recover during these difficult times.” “We must all think together, out of the box, and imaginatively. This is our real historic test. The Middle East has proven in the past that it is robust and can …