New forums and events to place
spotlight on tourism opportunities from leading source markets for Middle East
destinations
Arabian Travel Market 2020 (ATM) has launched a new series of buyer forums and networking events
focused on India, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia’s growing outbound potential, as
GCC travel and tourism companies and destinations look to attract a larger
share from these major source markets.
Following the successful launch of the ‘Arabia China Tourism
Forum’ at ATM 2019, these new forums and networking events have been designed
to explore the untapped opportunities that India, Saudi Arabia, China and
Russia’s expanding tourism markets present while advising travel, tourism and
hospitality professionals, on how to attract and cater to these key markets.
As part of the networking sessions, ATM will be inviting 150
hosted buyers from India, China, Russia and the Middle East as well as
partnering with CBN Travel & MICE once again to bring an additional 84 new
buyers from China.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which takes
place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 19-22 April 2020, said: “Identifying the
key players in the top source markets, along with current and emerging industry
trends are two of the most valuable insights ATM has to offer. Therefore, the 2020
edition will continue to follow that successful model with a packed agenda,
including new forums and networking opportunities as well as an engaging
seminar programme.”
Looking at the UAE alone, according to research from Colliers
International, in partnership
with ATM, the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE is expected to
increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% to 3.01 million by 2023,
while arrivals from Saudi Arabia will witness an increase of 2% to 1.76 million
during the same period.
The data also predicts an above average annual growth rate for
both Russian and Chinese arrivals to the UAE, with the number of Russian
tourists expected to increase at a CAGR of 12% to 1.6 million and Chinese
tourists estimated to increase at a CAGR of 8% to 1.27 million by 2023.
Taking a look at the key drivers, beside Expo
2020 which is now less than one
year away, Indian, Saudi Arabian, Chinese and Russian visitors have grown in
recent years due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes;
relaxed visa regulations; the growth of their respective economies; increased
disposable incomes and a new generation of leisure attractions and retail
destinations as well as a broad range of hotels and resorts across the region.
Curtis said: “Over recent years in particular, sentiment at ATM
has reflected the growth in these tourists to the Middle East and as we look
ahead to the 2020 edition of the show we are seeing more hotel and travel
professionals than ever before eager to capitalise on the significant
opportunities presented by these key markets.”
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.
Adopting Events for Tourism Growth as the
official show theme, ATM 2020 will build on the success of this year’s edition
with a host of seminar sessions discussing the impact events have on tourism
growth in the region while inspiring the travel and hospitality industry about
the next generation of events.
Tags: Arabian Travel Market
