 |
| From left to right: Dr. Ali Abu Monassar, Chairman, The Vision, Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director for the Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, Claude Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM & IBTM Portfolios, Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, (DCTCM). Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality Group |
· 62 countries represented on
exhibition floor such as KSA, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Thailand,
Indonesia, Egypt, South Korea, The Philippines, Malaysia, Maldives and Israel
· 67 conference sessions
featuring 145 local, regional and international speakers
· New hybrid format first time
in ATM history; in-person at the DWTC from 16-19 May and virtually from 24-26 May
· Health & safety measures top priority for organiser Reed Exhibitions
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 has reconfirmed
that Dubai will host the largest in-person travel & tourism event in the
world, since the onset of the pandemic last year.
Now in its 28th year, ATM
2021 will go-ahead at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday 16 to
Wednesday 19 May, as final preparations are being put in place.
“The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new
dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be focused on the very
latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, the current state
of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds,” said Claude
Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM& IBTM Portfolios.
ATM 2021 features 67 conference sessions
with over 145 local, regional and international speakers overall. Onsite, there
is a Global Stage which will include a hotel industry summit, dedicated buyer
forums for Saudi Arabia and China, an International Tourism & Investment
Conference (ITIC), as well as an aviation panel and a special session on
Gulf-Israeli ties.
Other features this year will include
Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts, providing industry-leading
insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape
the future of travel and tourism.
A total of 62 countries are being represented
on the exhibition floor this year such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Germany,
Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines,
Thailand, Mexico and the US.
“This underscores the importance of ATM,
connecting destinations with their source markets,” said Danielle
Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market.
ATM
2021 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, spread across nine halls. Consistent with the existing density restrictions and
social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in
the halls at any given time.
The event will once
again play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day long festival of
travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online. In addition to the
in-person Arabian Travel Market event, the travel events that are part of
Arabian Travel Week are: travel technology exhibition Travel Forward, ARIVAL
Dubai for the tours and attractions sector, GBTA’s half day virtual business
travel conference, ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit, speed
networking events for digital influencers and regionally focused buyer groups
including China, and of course ATM Virtual, the online edition of the ATM
exhibition.
This year, for
the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean
a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience
than ever before.
ATM Virtual, which made its debut last year,
proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.
“It is
imperative that we include a virtual element, many industry professionals from
around the world, may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly
this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Curtis.
“Due to
Dubai’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety
and its effective citywide management of the pandemic, it was awarded a ‘Safe
Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),” added Curtis.
Dubai
is one of the safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of
precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of tourists at every stage
and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to departure. Over 10.6 million doses have already been
administered in the UAE, which is also a major achievement.
ATM 2021’s strategic partners include
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) as
Destination Partner, Emaar Hospitality Group as Official Hotel Partner,
Emirates as Official Airline Partner and The Vision as Official Destination
Management Partner.
Commenting
on the ATM 2021 hybrid event, the show’s strategic partners said:
Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai
Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) commented: “As Dubai plays host to the Arabian Travel Market
during this challenging period, it is testament to the city’s tireless efforts
in leading the restart of global tourism, inspired and guided by our visionary
leadership with the goal of positioning Dubai as one of the world’s safest
destinations. It is noteworthy that through a proven framework for welcoming
back visitors safely and ensuring they enjoy a well-rounded destination
experience, as well as our ability to transform challenges into opportunities,
Dubai has demonstrated a successful model for recovery of the international
travel and tourism sector. With industry professionals from around the world
set to converge in the city this month, we look forward to sharing Dubai’s
positive outlook during ATM 2021, while emphasising how crucial it is to always
keep the health and safety of travellers at the top of the agenda to ensure
tourism growth.”
Adnan
Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline,
said: “An
event like ATM is vital in supporting our industry to find its bearings, share
new developments, work together to help rebuild trust
in travel, and simply do business. This important event will play a vital role in
showcasing our home and hub, Dubai, as it continues to safely host mega-events.
Dubai has also become a model for other governments and cities in its response
to safeguarding public health through comprehensive health and safety
protocols, whilst thoughtfully providing a roadmap for the opening of
businesses and protecting its economy for the long-term. We are proud to play a
role in providing vital air links to support Dubai’s tourism industry, and
enhancing the city’s appeal to even more potential visitors around the globe.”
Mark
Kirby, Head of Emaar Hospitality Group, added: “ATM has
always been an indispensable part of the travel & tourism family, this year
even more with the challenges we’ve faced as an industry. I am certain I speak
on behalf of my hospitality friends and colleagues, that we’ve managed to come
out stronger after a difficult phase last year. We like to believe 2021, is our
year as we look forward to stepping outside of our home, Dubai to newer opening
locations such as Address Fujairah, Vida Bahrain, Address Istanbul and Rove
Marjan Island in Q4 and others in 2022. We are the Official Hotel and
Hospitality Partner for Expo 2020. This is definitely a great opportunity to
showcase Emaar Hospitality Group’s world class service, amenities and much
more. Rove Expo 2020 will be the only on-site hotel when the event commences in
October this year.”
Dr. Ali bin Zaid Abu
Monassar, Chairman, The Vision Destination Management, added: “If a little more
than a year ago we would have been given the chance of a short glimpse into our
imminent future, our reaction would have been of unbelievable astonishment. And
somehow now, it is still the same. We all have been largely affected by the
current situation, particularly our segment. But, once again, we had tangible
reassurance on our way to deal with future trends, opportunities and
challenges. Since its establishment, The Vision Destination Management embarked
on a model which is a mix of flexibility, creativity and focused solutions
adapting to ever-changing situations. We are resilient and optimistically
preparing future steps based on our skills, contacts and experience. Welcoming once
again our international and local colleagues from the industry is a strong
message and we look forward to work with all parties involved for another
successful Arabian Travel Market.”
Tags: Arabian Travel Market
