Tag Archives: Danielle 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 …

A joint survey conducted by the Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting, China Comfort Travel Group (CCT), and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), was discussed by a panel of experts during the three-day ATM Virtual event. The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum, took an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market post COVID-19’s closed borders and what overseas destinations and attractions can do to reassure and convince Chinese tourists, that their destination is safe to visit. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said, “In China we are already witnessing the green-shoots of recovery and many industry experts are looking to China to kickstart international tourism.” Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Institute of Peace for Tourism (IIPT) and former Secretary General of the UNWTO said, “After 9/11, people had to get used to security restrictions such as removing their shoes and belts, no liquids, now that is a way of life. People are now afraid to travel, but things will change, new protocols will be introduced and the quicker that happens the more trust and confidence will be communicated, bringing travellers back.” Helen Shapovalova, Founder & Director, Pan Ukraine commented Shopping has always been a top attraction for Chinese tourists especially “luxury goods and Lisa Dinh, expected changes here as well, balancing risk management with the customer experience. “Trust is the new currency. The demand is still there, but health and safety and relationship building will be key. Training will be essential to changing mindset.” Returning to the survey, nearly half of those questioned said they preferred group tours but given the coronavirus outbreak, many Chinese would now travel, in smaller groups catering for better social …

The first ever ATM virtual began its three day sessions with 11,232 pre-scheduled appointments, 16,383 registrations from 152 countries at the close of day one. The event will be on going for the next two days with very interesting and engaging sessions conducted by experts in various fields. Starting off the day was Danielle Curtis Director Exhibition Director who shared some insights about the sessions from 1st to 3rd June 2020 which included a series of webinars, roundtables and one on one networking sessions. There are 13 webinars and live conferences for the whole duration of ATM Virtual with 10 roundtable, 5 speed networking events which translates to 600 meetings, 800 one-to-one meetings each day, 4 high level sessions with range of topics. Some of the sessions that are available for watching over the next 3 days will be the webinars by Travtalk Middle East moderated by Sanjeet – Managing Director DDP Publications. The first session will focus on Middle East: The New Asian Source Market with 3 key speakers from Asian tourism boards Beverly Au Yong – Area Director (Middle East) International Group – Singapore Tourism board, Daks Gonzales is the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), Head, for the Middle East Market and Nandini Lahe-Thapa, Senior Director at the Nepal Tourism Board is Head of the International Marketing and Promotion Dept. Their focus will be to understand 2020 and 2021 strategy to explore UAE and Middle East as a source market. When they will expect the first wave of tourism to come from the Middle East? Would the focus on Europe change for this year? How they will change their marketing strategy for the GCC market? What makes this …

Travel trade professionals from across the world will gather online today for the first day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Virtual, a newly-launched three-day event for the region’s tourism community. The debut event, which will run from today till June 3, 2020 will place a focus on emerging trends, opportunities, and the challenges which are directly impacting the travel and tourism industry amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Over the course of three days, ATM Virtual will feature comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, and one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said: “Our debut event not only underscores ATM’s mission to support and guide the region’s vast travel and tourism industry during and beyond COVID-19, but it also demonstrates our commitment to delivering positive business and networking opportunities to the entire community, during even the most challenging times. With up to four live high-level sessions each day, industry experts will address a range of topics including a road map to recovery, tourism strategies for the future, the hotel landscape in a post-COVID-19 world, and the resilience of the travel industry, as well as exploring the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead, emerging travel technology and sustainability trends.” Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief of Investment, Strategy and Tourism Marketing, Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, said, “As global travel restrictions ease, our focus is on ensuring that Saudi Arabia is ready to welcome visitors as soon as they are ready to travel. We are collaborating across the public and private sectors, to safeguard the wellbeing of visitors, while continuing to invest in …

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 …

Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum is undoubtedly the highlight of ATM Virtual event that will take place from June 1-3, 2020. With the spread of COVID-19 under control and domestic leisure travel growing, ME travel professionals are looking to China to initiate international tourism. The debate will take an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market now that China seems to have the viral outbreak under control and domestic tourism is growing once again. Many Middle East travel professionals will be looking for insight into the current state of the market and more importantly, how and when to start planning for inbound Chinese visitors. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The relatively swift rebound of domestic travel during the May Golden Week Holiday in China for example, underscores the bullish view of certain analysts regarding China’s integral role in leading the global tourism industry post COVID-19’s closed borders. Some hoteliers in China were reporting occupancy levels for the recent national holiday in excess of 45 per cent with resort markets close to 70 per cent, a significant improvement from the overall average of 30 per cent occupancy, confirming leisure demand is robust.” Specifically, The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum will focus on the potential recovery of outbound travel and how Chinese travellers have been changing the way that they access information about foreign destinations and making contacts with local hotels, tour operators and ground handlers. The experts will share their opinion and experience on how to overcome the current crisis by identifying new buying patterns, new demand streams and innovative ways of reaching customers as well as of course enhancing existing partnerships. …