Luxury
travel trends will once again be a highlighted feature at Arabian Travel Market
(ATM) 2015, with the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Middle East showcase matching luxury-focused exhibitors
with travel buyers from around the world looking to discover the very best
experiences in the region.
Taking
place from 4-7 May 2015 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition
Centre, the ATM line-up will include a two-day ILTM @ ATM programme with a
series of pre-scheduled appointments and dedicated luxury travel focused
seminars and panel debates to run on 5-6 May.
The Atlantis, The Palm will be the Official Luxury and
Leisure Host Hotel for the duration of the four-day event, hosting the ILTM
buyer group and international buyers from outside the GCC.
“A
2014 YouGov Luxury Travel report for the MENA region showed that out of the
1,000-plus regionally based survey respondents, luxury clearly has a home in
the Middle East with Dubai ranked in top spot as the preferred upscale
destination,” said Nadege Noblet, Exhibition Manager of Arabian Travel Market,
WTM Portfolio, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
A
total of 69% of respondents in the YouGov report agreed that luxury travel is
defined by the availability of five-star accommodation as a minimum standard.
Also those surveyed admitted they had taken an average of 1.9 luxury holidays over
the last 12 months, meaning that the region’s preponderance of upscale hotel
properties is perfectly positioned to capitalise on growing demand from high
net-worth travellers eager to discover new destinations or enjoy an exclusive
experience in their favourite resort.
"Today the definition of luxury is strongly dependent on the
perspective of the traveller. With no universally accepted definition of what
luxury travel is, brands need to truly understand what luxury means to their
customers in order to be successful. The
subject is of strong interest to travel brands in this market and it is great to
see ILTM focus on this issue, said YouGov’s Travel & Leisure Research
Director, Scott Booth.
The
YouGov report also highlighted the fact that 61% of luxury tourists from the
MENA region choose to travel with their spouse, staying for an average of 5.1
nights, with four out of five people choosing to go on a luxury holiday for
pure relaxation.
“Of
the respondents surveyed, on average they reported typically spending around
US$8,310 per trip, with 60% choosing a destination based on recommendations
from family and friends, and 53% personally booking their travel. Service delivery combined with exclusivity
are clear prerequisites for a desirable luxury offering,” noted Noblet.
Once
in the hotel, respondents ranked a good view from their room and a choice of
fine dining restaurants as paramount to ensuring an enjoyable experience with
consumer opinion defining luxury as ‘differentiating, discovery and
experiences’.
“Interestingly,
77% of respondents said that they were likely to book an all-inclusive luxury
holiday package, which is an area of opportunity that many Gulf destinations
have yet to explore,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director for Luxury Events at
Reed Travel Exhibitions.
ILTM
@ ATM 2015 will welcome up to 25 international hosted buyers with a specific
interest in the Middle East luxury experience, and up to 28 exhibitors
representing the luxury travel offering, from hotels and cruise lines to DMCs
and destinations.
“ILTM
@ ATM returns to ATM with an expanded programme of one-to-one appointments and
is a crucial component in our global calendar of luxury events which cover
Africa, the Americas , Asia
and Europe ,” added Walsh.
In
addition the ATM 2015 line-up features a central Family Travel theme alongside
branded exhibition trails including budget travel, health and wellbeing,
shopping, transportation, sports travel, culture and heritage and adventure
travel. At the event, ATM’s research partner, YouGov
will report new and fresh insights on Family Travel in MENA. The 2015 event will also build on the success
of last year’s edition with the announcement of an additional hall as Reed
Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking
achievements in 2014. Last year ATM saw the total attendance increase by 12% to
reach 33,000 delegates with exhibitors and visitors signing business deals worth more than US$2.1 billion over the four days.
“We
are honoured to be named the official hotel of Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
2015. ATM is one of the most important travel and tourism exhibitions in the
world and it is our great pleasure to partner with them. With the spotlight
theme of Family Travel for 2015, our unique family offering ties in perfectly
with the focus of next year’s event, and we are looking forward to showcasing
the amazing diversified attractions at Atlantis,” David Loiseau, Vice
President, Sales at Atlantis, The Palm.
For
more information on Arabian Travel Market 2015, please log on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
