Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015, which takes place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 4-7 May 2015, has selected family travel segment as the official show theme.
According to Thomson Reuters’ data, the value of the global family tourism market was $140 billion in 2013. That figure is set to rise to over $180 billion by 2018 with growth expected to continue at a rate of 4.79 per cent annually until 2020, compared with just 3.8% overall tourism growth.
The Dubai Capital of Islamic Economy initiative has identified the UAE as a top source market for family travel, with spending power worth over $10 billion. Additional research data from technology and payments business Visa, showed that Saudi Arabians are the world’s biggest spenders when overseas, racking up a per capita average of US$6,666 per trip. In stark contrast UK-based shopping platform ‘Give As You Live’, revealed that the average British family of four spends US$5,800 on their annual holiday.
The ATM 2015 line-up will include a number of dedicated seminar sessions addressing these issues with panel-led discussions on how Gulf destinations can boost their appeal to the lucrative family tourism market and develop family-specific amenities, the pressing need for value-for-money accommodation options and – at the other extreme – the rise in aspirational travel from high-spending families for whom the experience outweighs the expense.
For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2015, please log on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
