Arabian Travel Market 2025 Dubai kicks off today; Here’s what to expect

Dubai: The 32nd edition of the travel trade show, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), will open today (Monday, April 28) at Dubai World Trade Centre. The event will welcome over 55,000 visitors, with participation from more than 2,800 exhibitors from 166 countries.

International exhibitors account for 67 per cent of companies showcased at the event. The Middle East comprises 33 per cent of exhibitors this year.  This year's event will be based on the theme – Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”. The theme will explore how the future of tourism will be shaped by connectivity across borders, industries and communities, organisers said in a statement.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director for the Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said, “ATM 2025 is on track to break records regarding attendance and exhibitor participation. We have added two additional halls this year to accommodate the growing interest in ATM. We will deliver the ATM Conference Programme across three dynamic content stages - the Global Stage, Future Stage and Business Events Stage.”

Curtis said she is looking forward to the IBTM@ATM, a dedicated business events zone, and ATM Travel Tech - which highlights technology's transformative role in shaping the industry's future.

This year, ATM Travel Tech is larger than ever, with an increase of over 23 per cent in the number of products presented at the event. Running parallel to ATM, the ATM Travel Tech segment offers visitors insights into the innovative technologies shaping the travel and hospitality sector. Visitors can attend discussions on the Future Stage. The segment will span Hall 1 and Za’abeel Hall 3 at this year’s event.

Highlights for the event include:

AI Expert Session: Google's former Chief Decision Scientist, Cassie Kozyrkov, will speak on the Future Stage about challenges and strategies for adopting AI in business.

Travel Tech & Startups: A new "Start-Up and Innovation Zone" will feature new travel companies, showcase a VR experience, and host a pitch competition for innovative startups.

Focus on Business Events: A new dedicated area, IBTM@ATM, is launched for the business events industry (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions), with its stage hosting sessions on growth in this sector.

Extensive Conference Program: The event will have over 200 experts speaking across three main stages: Global, Future, and Business Events.

Monday's key sessions include:

According to the organisers, Asia is the fastest-growing region at ATM, with exhibitor participation rising by 20 per cent year-on-year.

ATM will feature a diverse range of Asian destinations, including Japan, Macao, the Maldives, Mauritius, South Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, highlighting the region’s increasing influence in global travel.

As India’s tourism industry achieves growth, the country’s presence at ATM has increased by 30 per cent this year. Regional tourism boards of Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh will participate along with airline carriers such as Air India and Air India Express.

International markets account for over 52 per cent of visitor registrations, with UAE and GCC visitors contributing significantly to the total figures, accounting for 48 per cent, said ATM organisers.

The top five registered international markets for ATM 2025 are India, Egypt, the UK, Türkiye and the USA, underscoring the event’s wide-reaching appeal across key global markets.