Tag Archives: Douglas Quinby

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 …

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 …

Arabian Travel Market, organisers of ATM Virtual, will address the changes to the tourism industry amid the rise of online travel agencies (OTAs), the re-opening of operations post COVID-19 and its impact on tour and attraction operators across the Middle East. The session, OTAs and distribution for tours and attractions Post-COVID, which will take place on the opening day of ATM Virtual on Monday, June 1, 4 pm – 5 pm GST (1 pm – 2 pm BST), will be hosted by Douglas Quinby, Co-Founder and CEO of Arival, the global research authority on the tours, activities and attractions sector. Quinby will present exclusive new insights into the tours and attractions sector, which according to Arival represented US$254 billion in 2019, while outlining the impact COVID-19 has had on the industry and a global outlook. Representatives from some of the UAE’s leading attractions and tour operators will join Quinby during the session. These include Zeina Dagher, CEO, Emaar Entertainment, and Samir Mehta, General Manager, Arabian Adventures. Rounding out the panel are distribution and technology innovators AlaaAlkhatib, Managing Director, priohub, and Mathis Boldt, VP Global Sales and Supply, GetYourGuide. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Tours, activities, and attractions are an integral element of the travel and tourism industry and are currently the third largest and fastest growing sector. They are, however, challenged by new technologies and innovations, and now, more than ever, businesses need the support to adapt to the new demands from travellers at a local and global level.” Douglas Quinby, Co-Founder and CEO, Arival, added, “Digital, distribution and venture-backed online platforms have been ushering in a dramatic change, from how travellers plan and book, to …

Travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world will have an opportunity to explore the next generation of in-destination trends and innovations at the Middle East’s first ever edition of Arival Dubai @ ATM, which will take place alongside Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020 at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 19 – 22, 2020. The dedicated forum, which will take place on April 19, will enable vendors, agents and operators of tours, activities and attractions to gain invaluable insights into the latest trends and challenges impacting the in-destination industry, as well as improving customer experience and business development throughout the Middle East market.  Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “According to the latest data from research firm Phocuswright, tours, activities and attractions are currently the third largest and fastest growing sector within the travel and tourism industry, representing approximately US$180 billion in global travel spend annually. One third of tours, activities and attractions are booked online at present with the Middle East representing one of the world’s fastest growing online travel experience markets.” Delegates at the inaugural Arival Dubai @ ATM forum will have access to a packed conference agenda featuring high-profile keynote speakers, with Arival Co-Founder and CEO Douglas Quinby, kicking-off proceedings with a session on the current and future in-destination trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the Middle East sector. The forum will also feature ‘Ask Me Anything Interviews’ with a range of senior executives from leading attractions and online agencies within the region. There will also be several round-table discussions on innovations and distributions impacting the in-destination industry and changing consumer behaviour.