Dubai: The 20th edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) opened on Monday on a high note with the four-day event, being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, focused on the future of the tourism and hospitality industry in the Middle East.
Opening the region’s largest travel industry show was Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, along with Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, CEO and Chairman, Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman of Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai World, and Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture.
The event will see speakers from across the gamut such as Emirates airline, Qantas, Google, TripAdvisor, Amadeus along with hotels and resorts industry players showcase their projects, and hold debates on industry trends and challenges.
Some of the big names in the hotels and resorts industry participating in this year’s ATM include big names such as Movenpick, Accor, The Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Rotana, Anantara and Fairmont. With many of these hotel chains having announced major projects in the recent months, ATM will offer them a platform to showcase their projects.
While the show, an annual event, is largely focused on the Middle East, tour operators from over 100 countries, including South Africa, France, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and many more, are expected to have a strong presence at the show, as in previous years.
Target visitors
The event is expected to attract over 17,000 visitors and more than 2,500 exhibitors.
This year’s event is focused on the development of Dubai’s and the overall region’s hospitality industry over the last 20 years. “There has been a tremendous growth since then. We started ATM 20 years ago with 40 countries participating on a floor space of 2,500 square metres, whereas this year, we will see over 100 countries represented occupying 22,000 square metres of space,” Mark Walsh, portfolio director at Reed Travel Exhibitions, the event’s organisers, told Gulf News recently. He added that there is more positive sentiment in the industry this year.
Visitor numbers are also set to break records this year, with Reed Travel Exhibitions looking to build on the 2012 figure of 17,000 registered visitors.
Also, a total of 25 international tourism ministers will participate in the second annual UNWTO/ATM Ministerial Forum on Tuesday, with the theme of setting a common growth agenda for tourism and aviation. This year’s event will also lay a strong focus on technology.
