Simon Press and HE Ahmed Khalifa Al Falasi, CEO of Corporate and Investment Services, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing |
·
International
visitors up 7%, African visitors up 11%
·
Largest
hotel section ever covering 20% of show floor
·
100
new exhibitors make debut in 2018
This
year’s Arabian Travel Market, the leading global
event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry, celebrated
its 25th anniversary in style with 39,000 travel, hospitality and
tourism professionals from across the world, with previous records being broken
across the board by the time the four-day show closed on 25 April 2018.
For
the second year in succession, the numbers of attendees reached the 39,000 mark,
indeed, the show has witnessed a 40% increase in visitors since celebrating its
20th year in 2013.
ATM 2018 also showcased the largest exhibition of local, regional
and global hotel brands in the history of ATM, with hotels comprising over
5,000 square metres, 20% of the total show area.
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said: “The continued
growth of ATM is testament to the robust strength of the travel and tourism
industry in the Middle East. ATM provides an ideal platform in that sense,
bringing travel and tourism professionals together to discuss the potential of
the inbound and outbound markets of the Middle East,” added Press.
ATM
has grown to become the largest event of its kind in the region and one of the
biggest in the world. The 2018 edition, on the theme of responsible tourism, boasted more than 400 main stand holders with over 100 new
exhibitors making their debut. The number of countries represented at ATM 2018 totaled
over 140.
The
show got off to an inspiring start, with an informative discussion on Hyperloop
and future travel experiences in the region. The session explored the impact
ultra-modern travel infrastructure will have on the tourism industry in the UAE
and wider GCC over the next decade, as technological advances bring new and
improved modes of transport to the market.
During
the session, it was revealed innovative Hyperloop connections could reduce
travel times between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum
International Airport (DWC) by around 34 minutes at some stage in the future.
Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President
(Infrastructure and Technology Dubai Airports), said: “Having both Dubai
International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) as key
stations on the hyperloop system is essential and could allow Emirates to
effectively and efficiently work from both hubs.”
Following
a successful debut last year, the Halal Tourism Summit returned to the Global
Stage on the third day of ATM 2018, welcoming leading Muslim travel industry
experts including Rafi-uddin Shikoh, CEO of DinarStandard, Faeez Fadhlillah,
CEO of Salam Standard & Tripfez and Omar Ahmed, Founder and CEO of Sociable
Earth.
Muslim
travellers will spend US$157 billion by 2020, driven by millennial travellers,
with Saudi Arabia remaining the top outbound market, growing 17% over the next
three years alone, to reach US$27.9 billion.
The
first seminar, entitled ‘Halal Tourism – How far have we come?’, highlighted
the growing importance of Muslim millennial travellers illustrated by the
changing global socio-economic trends and underscored the potential pent up
demand. While the second seminar, ‘Halal travel becomes mainstream’, discussed
the key results of a new halal tourism survey carried out by Sociable Earth.
Commenting
on the survey, in which 35,000 Muslim travellers participated, Ahmed, said: “The
halal travel market has graduated from its niche status to become an
industry-shaping force in its own right.
“It
is clear that mainstream travel and tourism organisations will now have to
become far more pro-active, if they want to attract increasing numbers of Halal
travellers and tap into the potential of this massive market.”
Another of the highlights from the Global Stage was
the inaugural Destination Investment conference entitled, ‘IHIF at Arabian
Travel Market: What Drives Investment in Travel Destinations?’. Moderated by
John Defterios, Emerging Markets Editor, CNNMoney, panellists including Antony
Doucet, Brand Director, Concept Developer and Creative Mind, Kerten Hospitality
International; and Erik Johansson, Director of Strategy Development and
Investor Relations, Ras Al Khaimah Development Authority discussed what drives
investment in travel destinations across the Middle East and its neighbouring
regions, as well as who is investing, what assets they are looking for, and finally
what destinations can do to attract investment.
This year ATM hosted its first Student Conference –
Career in Travel – as part of its line-up of special focus events. The two-hour
conference in the Showcase Theatre featured three interactive sessions
including how to gain a career in the industry; developing tourism skills and
employment opportunities in travel & tourism; and how to create a job in
the travel and tourism industry.
Simon
Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM said: “The inaugural Student Conference
was a great success increasing student and graduate opportunities within the
travel and tourism sector.”
Other
popular features included the Wellness and Spa Lounge, Travel Agents’ Academy,
Buyers’ Club, Digital Influencer Speed Networking and the ultra-innovative
travel tech show.
The
Best Stand Awards also returned with some delighted winners including Dubai
Tourism, SAUDIA, Lebanon, Turkey and Travelport.