Dubai: The Arabian Travel Market (ATM), an annual travel trade event in the Middle East, which ran from May 5 to 8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, wrapped up on a high note on Thursday.
In its 21st edition, ATM 2014 attracted over 2,700 exhibitors, which represents an increase of 9.7 per cent over last year’s attendance, and more than 23,000 visitors, marking a growth of 10 per cent. It covered 25,000 square metres of exhibition space, including one extra hall, marking an eight per cent growth over 2013. Next year’s show is expected to have an additional hall due to increasing demand from exhibitors, Mark Walsh, portfolio director at Reed Travel Exhibitions, told Gulf News.
Both exhibitors and visitors represented 157 countries, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the US, Germany, Ireland and Argentina, among many others. Countries new to the show this year include Bulgaria and Romania. The Caribbean was also represented for the first time.
Exhibitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE, and the wider Middle East demonstrated the biggest participation this year, followed by Asia, Europe and the Americas, according to Walsh.
Among the exhibitors were Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Accor and Rotana Hotels, and many others.
Vision for 2020
Walsh expects next year’s show to see an increase of “10 per cent” in the number of exhibitors and visitors.
Asked about the size of the deals signed during ATM 2014, Walsh said that the figures were not currently available. He, however, said that there was “huge business at ATM”.
The show focused on Dubai’s tourism vision for 2020, which the government announced last year. Under the vision, the emirate expects to double visitor numbers from 10 million in 2012 to 20 million by 2020. During that year, Dubai will host the World Expo 2020, a six-month exhibition for which the emirate won the bid in November last year. The event is expected to bring in 25 million visitors.
“A major reason for the increase of the show is the Expo 2020 announcement,” Walsh said.
A session at ATM 2014, called “Delivering the tourism vision for 2020 and how Dubai is marketed to the world,” discussed the emirate’s progress in delivering the vision, and the outlook for the future. In attendance were Helal Saeed Al Merri, director-general of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Gaith Al Gaith, CEO of low-cost carrier flydubai, and Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Emirates airline.
Other highlights at this year’s show included seminars focused on luxury tourism. This year’s show brought together 40 luxury buyers, Walsh said.
Next year’s edition of the ATM is expected to have bigger exhibition space for travel-related technology, cruise and medical tourism, he said.
