Dubai
Responsible tourism and sustainable travel trends will be in focus next week when the 25th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the travel exhibition, kicks off in Dubai.
Organisers of the event said on Wednesday that ATM is expected to see over $2.5 billion in deals over its four-day run. More than 2,500 companies will be exhibiting their services at the event, and 40,000 people are expected to visit.
Simon Press, senior exhibition director of ATM, said speakers at the event this year will discuss what lies ahead for the tourism industry, given the “continuing geopolitical tensions across the globe, economic uncertainties, huge technological advances, and, of course, the increasing trend of responsible tourism.”
Press said that ATM has seen a continued increase in footfall since 2012, and expects that to continue when the latest edition of the exhibition starts on Sunday. In 2017, ATM saw deals worth $2.5 billion and almost 40,000 industry professionals attending.
Discussing trends in the travel industry, Olivier Harnisch, chief executive officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said there has been growth in responsible tourism, which is tourism that minimises negative environmental and social impact. He added that there is also focus on millennial travellers and the demand they create for mid-scale accommodation and experience-oriented services.
Also taking the spotlight at ATM this year will be the latest move by the UAE Cabinet to start preparing a policy to grant transit visas to transit passengers at the country’s airports. The visa will be valid for 24 hours, allowing transit passengers to visit attractions in the UAE.
Issam Kazim, chief executive officer of Dubai’s Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said the move is a positive one, and when implemented, will help bring more visitors to Dubai. He added that the Corporation is currently working on adding new countries to the list of those whose citizens may receive visas on arrival to the UAE.
About 70 per cent of passengers who used the UAE’s airports in 2017 were transit passengers.
The Arabian Travel Market will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and will bring together companies in the travel and tourism sector including international hotels and airlines.
