·
Saudi Arabia’s hospitality market, hotel
industry and halal tourism among key topics to be discussed on ATM Global Stage
· Several high-profile speakers confirmed include
Emirates Airline’s Sir Tim Clark and Air Arabia’s Adel Ali
Saudi Arabia’s growing tourism sector will be
one of over 40 key travel and tourism trends under the spotlight on Arabian
Travel Market’s Global Stage - as more than 100
experts from across the spectrum of global hospitality gear up for three more
days of interactive discussions, keynotes and industry briefings.
The Kingdom will see a vast expansion of its
hotel and resort inventory during 2019, with approximately 9,000 keys of three-
to five-star international supply projected to enter the market despite major
cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah experiencing an overall drop in ADR during
2018.
While this new supply will place additional
competitive pressure on hotels’ performance across the country, the predicted
growth in airport passenger numbers across Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Al
Khobar is expected to boost occupancy levels throughout 2019.
Discussing Saudi Arabia’s tourism potential, a
seminar titled ‘Why
Tourism is Saudi’s New ‘White Oil’ will take place on ATM 2019’s
Global Stage from 14:50 to 16:00
tomorrow (Monday, 29 April).
With the overall
number of annual tourist trips expected to increase to 93.8 million by 2023,
according to Colliers International, panellists will discuss the opportunities
related to these unprecedented growth projections, as well as the tourism
sector’s potential to support Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification efforts.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel
Market, said: “All available metrics point to incredible potential within Saudi
Arabia’s tourism sector. Increases in air passenger numbers are predicted
across the board in 2019, and the kingdom’s hospitality sector is investing in
its future with significant boosts to capacity.
“New revenue
channels such as travel and tourism have a crucial role to play in achieving
the goals set out in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which is why it is so
important for our industry to explore how we can work together to catalyse
further development.”
Kicking
off day two will be a session titled ‘The
Big Picture – Who will sell travel best in the future?’. With the
global travel landscape rapidly evolving and the lines between traditional and
non-traditional travel retailers blurring, this session will discuss what the
future holds for an industry where every major tech firm, social media channel
and online retailer is fighting to sell travel and what it means for
traditional providers as we look ahead to the next decade.
Debuting
on the Global Stage this year will be the ATM
Hotel Industry Summit which takes place from 14:40 to 17:00 on
Tuesday 30th April. Consisting of four separate panel discussions,
the summit will shed light on infrastructure developments, technologies and
innovative concepts with the potential to increase efficiency and improve guest
experience within the hotel segment.
As a younger
generation of clientele with different preferences and budgetary requirements
comes to the fore, panellists will explore up-and-coming hospitality hotspots
in the Middle East, emerging trends such as mid-market resorts and lifestyle
hotels, and an anticipated return to direct bookings.
Meanwhile, the Global
Halal Tourism Summit will return for its third edition on Tuesday 30th
April from 11:00 to 13:00. The summit will explore the
top trends within the Halal tourism sector as well as the growing role of
technology in the Muslim space, including the digitalisation of the Umrah.
Curtis said: “This
year’s edition of Arabian Travel Market will include a comprehensive programme
of in-depth industry discussions, with topics ranging from emerging market
segments to efficiency-boosting innovations.
“Not only will we be
discussing new subjects such as Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning tourism sector, but
we will also be revisiting previous focuses such as halal tourism. The
inaugural ATM Hotel Industry Summit, meanwhile, will address everything from
hotel infrastructure developments and investment opportunities to the digital
innovations that are helping to transform guest accommodation in the Middle
East.”
This year, the ATM
Global stage will also host several high-profile speakers from the region’s
aviation industry. From 12:10 to 13:10 on Monday, 29 April, Sir
Tim Clark, President of Emirates, will offer insights into the
Dubai-headquartered carrier’s growth strategy. Meanwhile, from 13:20 to 14:20
on Tuesday, 30 April, Adel
Ali, Group CEO of Air Arabia, will reflect on 15 years of success
within the Gulf’s low-cost carrier segment.
In the Travel Tech Theatre, which is
sponsored by Sabre Corporation this year – seminar sessions will explore how to
positively change the perception of destinations using the power of social
media as well as discussing how immersive technology will transform the visitor
experience at mega events such as the upcoming Expo 2020.
And,
in the Inspiration Theatres, expert panels will discuss how the travel and
tourism industry can best reduce carbon emissions as well as the evolution of
bespoke luxury travel and the opportunities that both medical and wellness
tourism present today.
Other popular features still to come include
the Digital Influencers’ Speed Networking, Best Stand Awards, Career in Travel
and the Travel Agents’ Academy.
For full details of the ATM 2019 event programme,
visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com/en/events/Events-programme.
Tags:ATM 2019
