· M.E. online travel and hospitality sales to
exceed US$100 billion by 2022
·
ATM to
launch ‘Travel Forward’ conference to examine next-gen’ industry innovation
The Middle East’s travel and tourism
industry is expected to increase its spending on Internet of Things (IoT)
technology by 22% by 2022, according to data published ahead of the inaugural edition
of Travel
Forward, which will take place alongside Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020
at Dubai World Trade Centre from 19 – 22 April 2020.
With technological advances not only continuously
evolving, but indeed accelerating the quality of life, and the introduction of
new innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Virtual Reality
(VR) and IoT, Colliers International predicts the Middle East online travel and
hospitality market will outpace the global market by 17% over the next three
years, with annual sales exceeding US$100 billion by 2022.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME,
Arabian Travel Market, said: “Technology, and the use of technology, is increasingly
part of everyday life. Travel, tourism and hospitality are at the very
forefront of tech innovation with many organisations investing huge sums of
money to gain competitive advantage, while improving the customer journey and
overall experience.
“That is why the introduction of events such as Travel Forward are so important to our sector’s future. Enhancing
our existing technology offering, Travel Forward – which will be co-located
with ATM 2020 – will showcase the very latest innovations from some of the
brightest minds in the travel and tourism industry, allowing delegates to test
new technologies and applications that could help them boost efficiency and
transform their operations.
“With an array of high-profile keynote speakers and world-class
technology experts lined up for the Travel Forward Conference Theatre, the
event will connect buyers and suppliers from across the Middle East and beyond
as well as facilitating face-to-face interviews and business opportunities.”
The debut Middle
East edition of Travel Forward will cover the full spectrum of industry tools,
from emerging innovations such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR),
artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and machine learning, to existing
systems such as booking engines, business management software and end-user
technology.
In addition to
the Travel Forward Conference Theatre, ATM’s own dedicated Travel Tech Theatre
will also be returning – enabling exhibitors to conduct live demonstrations for
attendees.
The standalone
event will also feature ‘The Startup Showcase’ – a forum in which the brightest
minds in the travel and hospitality industry will not only introduce and
explain the theory behind their innovations but also demonstrate their
advantages in real time.
A ‘Startup Competition’
will give suppliers the opportunity to make a six-minute visionary pitch about
their latest innovation to a panel of judges. The three most impressive tech
startup pitches will then be selected to present to the entire conference
theatre, where audience members will vote for a winner who will receive service
‘tokens’ from a company and/or cash and/or mentoring.
Curtis added:
“Travel Forward was originally launched during World Travel Market 2018 in
London. Based on the success of the event to date, Reed Travel Exhibitions
(RTE) rolled out a Latin America edition earlier this year, with the Middle
East and a South Africa version to follow in 2020.
“The launch of
Travel Forward at ATM 2020 not only confirms our commitment to continuously
innovating our offering for all industry stakeholders, but also provides a platform
for the industry to come together to take advantage of technological advances
and stay at the forefront of innovation.”
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
