· New
week-long series of events comprises Arabian Travel Market 2019, ILTM Arabia, CONNECT
Middle East, India and Africa and ATM Holiday Shopper
· ATM
2019 will feature over 2,500 exhibitors and an expected 40,000 attendees,
placing a spotlight on technology and innovation
Reed Travel
Exhibitions
will launch Arabian Travel Week –
an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows – during the 2019 edition of
Arabian
Travel Market (ATM) which opens its doors on Sunday 28th
April for four days of business networking opportunities and insightful seminar
sessions at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Arabian Travel Week
comprises ATM 2019 and ILTM Arabia as well as CONNECT
Middle East, India and Africa 2019 – a new route development forum
launching this year and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper which take
place on Saturday 27th April.
Claude Blanc, WTM Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “The
success of both ATM and ILTM Arabia has provided us with the platform to not
only introduce two new events for 2019 – but to create a travel week which
encompasses the Middle East’s inbound and outbound markets for general leisure
tourism and luxury travel as well as introducing an exclusive consumer event
and providing a dedicated networking forum for the region’s top airline
specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour
operators.”
According to the World Travel and
Tourism Council (WTTC), the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the
UAE’s economy is predicted to rise 4.1 percent per annum to AED 108.4bn by
2028.
“Building on these figures, we are
confident Arabian Travel Week will be a key driver attracting top international
destinations to the attention of the Middle East’s travel trade and consumers
and equally, marketing the Middle East to strategic overseas tour operators and
travel professionals,” Blanc said
Now in its 26th year, ATM 2019 will
welcome over 2,500 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 industry
professionals, with over 150 countries represented, 65 national pavilions, and
more than 100 new exhibitors set to make their ATM debut.
Identifying
the top tourism trends showing the greatest growth potential is one of the most
valuable insights Arabian Travel Market has to offer, and this year’s event
will be no different as it adopts cutting-edge technology and innovation as its
official show theme.
Running
throughout the event, professionals from across the industry spectrum will
discuss the ongoing unprecedented digital disruption, and the emergence of
innovative technologies that will fundamentally alter the way in which the
hospitality industry operates in the region.
Also
new to ATM 2019 will be the Arabia
China Tourism Forum which will take place on the Global Stage on
Sunday 28th April. With China set to account for a quarter of
international tourism by 2030, an expert panel will discuss how destinations
around the world can capitalise on this growth. The forum will also include a
30-minute networking session with over 80 Chinese buyers.
Blanc
said: “This year’s event is set to showcase the largest ever exhibition from
Asia in the history of ATM, with the continent witnessing an 8% YoY increase in
total show area and Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka being the
largest exhibiting countries.
“The
last 12 months have brought unprecedented developments in growing source
markets such as China - and the region is poised for further great developments
throughout 2019 and beyond.”
Other
Global Stage highlights will include sessions on the future of selling travel, Saudi
Arabia’s tourism potential, the Global
Halal Tourism Summit and the debut ATM
Hotel Industry Summit which will host various expert panels to
debate and provide an insight on the latest hotel developments and innovative
digital infrastructure shaping the future of the hospitality sector.
As well as the ultra-innovative Travel Tech
Show at ATM, other calendar favourites returning for ATM 2019 include the Best
Stand Awards, the Travel Agents’ Academy and the Digital Influencers and
Buyers’ Speed Networking Events which will feature 20 Chinese buyers for the
first time.
Issam Kazim, CEO of
Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Our presence at Arabian Travel Market
forms a core part of our efforts to raise awareness of Dubai as a diverse
travel destination to global audiences, and we are pleased to extend our
support once again to the 26th edition of this influential event. We
remain focused on strengthening collaborations with our network of industry
partners, in turn underlining the enormous diversity that the emirate offers global
travellers. Keeping in mind this year’s theme of innovation and technology, Dubai
as a destination has already embraced a ‘digital, mobile and social first’
agenda that places future readiness at its core while promoting the adoption of
disruptive technology. As a global hub of innovation, we will continue to support
public-private sector partnerships to evolve our product offering and the way
we engage with today’s digitally-savvy consumers. Keeping ahead of the global
competition, we are anchored by an unwavering vision of establishing Dubai as
the number one most-visited and innovative city in the world.”
Thierry
Antinori, Executive Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline, commented:
“Cutting-edge technology and innovation, ATM’s theme for 2019, are redefining
how customers experience travel across every touchpoint in their journey. As an
airline, we are working hard to deliver a more seamless and connected
end-to-end experience for our customers, from the time they book to the moment
they board our aircraft. This is being propelled by new data capabilities,
using technologies like biometrics, personalisation tools, as well as a host of
other innovations that will help create bespoke experiences for our passengers,
and ultimately help them fly better.”
Chris Newman, Chief Operating Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, added: “As the
Official Hotel partner of ATM, we look forward to welcoming the world to Dubai
for this global event. ATM 2019 is underlining the strides Dubai has made in
innovating the hospitality landscape through smart transformation and
creativity. Further in our role as the Official Hospitality & Hotel Partner
of Expo 2020 Dubai, we will highlight the strengths of the city’s hospitality
sector to support the Dubai Tourism Strategy 2025. We will showcase our roster
of hotels in Dubai and international markets including our upcoming hotel
openings.”
Anwar A.Z.
Abu Monassar, Destination
Director – Strategy & Operation, The Vision, added: “We are approaching a
very important target – 2020. This represents two decades’ effort in promoting the
destination and it will be in conjunction with Expo2020, a milestone for the
entire region. Arabian Travel Market
2019 will gather regional and international professionals and The Vision
Destination Management is proud to be once again the official partner in
welcoming the industry. We are
experiencing a dynamic environment in terms of trends and expectations and our
boutique-concept style is thrilled to be an active part of this process.”
Photo caption:
From left to right:
Anwar A.Z Abu Monassar,
Destination Director, Strategy & Operation, The Vision.
Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline.
Claude Blanc, Portfolio
Director, Arabian Travel Market and World Travel Market London.
Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, Chief
Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
Chris Newman, Chief
Operating Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group
