· Direct contribution of travel
and tourism to the Middle East’s GDP to rise by 4.2%, driven in part by an
increase of events in the region
· Expo 2020, the ultimate event
to drive additional five million visitors to Dubai
· ATM 2020 adopts Events for
Tourism Growth as official show theme
Events for Tourism Growth will be adopted
as the official show theme for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020,
taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from Sunday 19 – Wednesday 22 April
2020.
According to data from the World Travel
and Tourism Council (WTTC), the direct contribution of travel and tourism to
the Middle East’s GDP is predicted to rise by 4.2% per annum to US $133.6
billion by 2028 – driven in part by additional tourists to the region as a
result of mega-events, major sporting and political events, cultural festivals,
concerts and MICE events.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME,
Arabian Travel Market, said: “Events of all kinds have become increasingly
important drivers for international arrivals to the UAE, GCC and wider MENA
region over recent years.
“With this in mind, ATM 2020’s spotlight
theme will be launched as a platform to explore the impact events have on
tourism growth in the region and to inspire the travel and hospitality industry
about the next generation of events, while bringing together senior travel
executives to meet and conduct business under one roof over four days.”
In the UAE alone, the major exhibition
centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi experienced a 14% growth in footfall between
2016 and 2018, with Dubai World Trade Centre welcoming 3.4 million visitors in
2018 and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, combined with Al Ain Exhibition
Centre – welcoming over two million during the same period.
Expo 2020 will
be the largest event ever staged in the Arab World. Taking place from October
2020 to April 2021, 192 pavilions from countries around the world will be
showcased, with over 25 million visitors - 145,000 visits for every one of the
173 days the site is open, expected.
Organisers of
the event are predicting 11 million visits by people living in the UAE and 14
million from overseas visitors – most of whom are expected to be tourists.
According to consultancy firm EY, this will provide a US$33.4 billion (AED122.6
billion) boost to the local economy – supporting the equivalent of 49,700
full-time jobs a year.
In Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 has set
aside $64 billion to invest in culture, leisure and entertainment projects over
the next decade, according to a recent report from real estate firm Savills.
This investment combined with more
relaxed access to visas are predicted to significantly add to the
attractiveness of the country with entertainment activities in the kingdom
predicted to attract 25 million visitors by 2021.
Curtis said: “Looking at 2018 alone,
exhibitions across Saudi Arabia witnessed a 103% increase in visitation with a
total of 61 major events taking place over 349 days. Last year was also a
milestone in terms of sporting events for the country, with events such as the
King Salman Tennis Championship, WWE Crown Jewel and Formula E taking place in
the Kingdom.”
ATM, considered by industry
professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism
sector, welcomed almost 40,000 people to its 2019 event with representation
from 150 countries. With over 100 exhibitors making their debut, ATM 2019
showcased the largest ever exhibition from Asia.
Tags: Arabian Travel Market
