Tag Archives: ATM

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is expecting a huge influx of exhibitors and visitors from Israel and further afield, wanting to take full advantage of Israel’s participation in its first major travel event in the Middle East. ATM, which has already announced that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase, will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 16-19, has witnessed a massive spike, not only in enquiries from Israel, but from travel companies around the world that specialise in tours to that region. “Following the signing of the Israel–United Arab Emirates normalisation agreement, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is planning significant steps to promote Israel as a tourism destination in the UAE. This will include participating for the first time in the Arabian Travel Market with a large booth and a delegation of Israel tourism industry representatives, as well as attending high level conference sessions,” said Ksenia Kobiakov, Director of New Markets Development Department, Israel Ministry of Tourism. “The interest shown by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism as well as other travel professionals based in Israel and international operators specialising in tours to Israel, has been extraordinary. This is a brand new market for both inbound and outbound operators and will provide a much needed boost to regional and international travel,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “However, it is not just about direct travel between Israel and UAE and Bahrain,” she added. “Due to the burgeoning international flight network between El Al, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad and Gulf Air, there will be massive potential for two-centre holidays or stopovers, either during inbound or outbound legs. “Indeed, according to the Israel Ministry of …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has confirmed that Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman of the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) and former UNWTO Secretary-General will host a virtual summit as part of ATM Virtual. The summit, which is titled ‘Restructuring to Attract Sustainable Development and Customers in the New World Order’ will take place on Wednesday June 3 between 12.15pm – 1.45pm GST (9.15am – 10.45am BST). The session will examine sustainable investment measures for the Middle East travel and tourism sector and the strategies to restore travellers’ confidence post-pandemic. “We are living in unprecedented times for the tourism industry, which is facing its toughest challenge ever. Stay home means no travel, and no travel means no tourism. This ITIC summit is vital at this critical time and I am therefore pleased to be part of ATM Virtual, who I commend for facing the challenges and ensuring the industry is in direct contact during these difficult times,” said Dr. Rifai. The panel discussions will also focus on the part governments must play in helping sector recovery, the expectations of the industry going forward, and how travel and tourism businesses can plan for their financial future. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “We are delighted to be working with ITIC to reflect on the financial impact COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector and to garner their insights and advice on strategies to restore visitor confidence and how the industry can begin to recover during these difficult times.” “We must all think together, out of the box, and imaginatively. This is our real historic test. The Middle East has proven in the past that it is robust and can …

Local tourism and domestic travel are expected to lead the UAE and wider GCC’s recovery from COVID-19 as the lockdown restrictions eases, according to the latest research released ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Virtual that will take place from 1-3 June 2020. The research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM, revealed the percentage of bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius increased from just 20 per cent in January 2020 to 43 per cent in March. While, in Dubai, the percentage rose from 19 per cent to 36 per cent. Adding to this, research by Sojern, suggests staycations are expected to become the most popular choice of travel in the short to medium-term, with data revealing hotel bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius accounted for 77 per cent of all bookings in April and domestic travel from Dubai accounting for 91 per cent of searches and bookings within the same radius. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “We are now beginning to see a sense of pent up demand due to an eagerness among the larger populace to make up for lost time and cancelled plans. Travellers still want to go on holiday, but safety has become a top priority. As a result, the staycation trend is expected to grow in the coming months, with residents keen to take a break away from their home for a few days in a location that is familiar to them, whilst flights are grounded, and international travel restrictions still in place.” “As travel and tourism begins to return, it is crucial that hotels add value to their existing offerings with incentives such as F&B discounts …

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has confirmed aviation industry veteran Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines, and Jozsef Varadi, CEO of Wizz Air will speak at the inaugural ATM Virtual, which takes place from June 1-3, 2020. According to the latest analysis from the International Air Travel Association (IATA), the COVID-19 crisis will see global airline passenger revenues drop by US$314 billion in 2020, a 55 per cent decrease compared to 2019. In a series of seminars and interviews led by respected aviation expert John Strickland, Director of JLS Consulting, ATM Virtual will look at the measures airlines are undertaking to counteract the direct impact the pandemic is having on their business. A major discussion point during the event will be the opening of Wizz Air’s forthcoming subsidiary in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company, which will further underscore its market position in the budget airline sector. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The airline industry continues to face deteriorating conditions with global airline passenger revenues predicted to fall by over 55 per cent in 2020. To address these issues, we have brought together two of the most influential figures in the airline industry to discuss their procedures and strategies for the future.”

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) hosted the first digital ATM Advisory Board meeting with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism and hospitality industry dominating the discussion. The Board will continue to provide guidance on industry themes, challenges, growth opportunities and future strategies in the Middle East travel and tourism sector, however, this will now be set against a backdrop of COVID-19 and how the industry can adapt to the ‘new norm’. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “The Advisory Board is a cross section of industry leaders who provide an insight based on firsthand experience of the trends impacting the tourism industry. Their knowledge ensures ATM continues to act as a voice for the industry by providing support and direction during these difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the travel and tourism industry, like many others, to a halt, with very little indication of when the recovery will begin. It is therefore imperative we continue to listen and understand where we are as an industry, what the future could potentially look like and what we can do to work together to aid the recovery when it comes. ATM continues to play a crucial role in supporting the industry to achieve this.” The meeting addressed the impact of COVID-19 will have on the international trade show arena through discussions focused on the key learnings from businesses during the pandemic and the resulting changes to the industry. It also provided an insight into the ‘new normal’ for the tourism industry, and the approach to dealing with new social distancing measures, reliance on domestic tourism and the impact of airline restrictions.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) announced the launch of ATM Virtual, a three-day event that will take place from June 1-3, 2020. The event, which underscores ATM’s commitment to delivering positive business and networking opportunities to the region’s vast travel and tourism community, will focus on emerging trends, opportunities, and the challenges which are directly impacting the tourism industry amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Our debut virtual event provides us with the opportunity to work closely with the ATM community and ensure we can support the travel and tourism industry in rebounding as quickly and efficiently as possible. We will address the impact the global health pandemic has had on the travel and tourism industry and discuss a road map to recovery, identifying the trends shaping the future of the industry and the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead.” ATM Virtual, which will take place over three days, will feature comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. “For exhibitors from this region, the dedicated networking event will also have one Middle East-focused session per day, as well as sessions for buyers, focused on purchasing European and Asian products, plus a session specifically targeting Chinese buyers,” added Curtis.

Reed Travel Exhibitions has rescheduled the dates for the three spring global trade shows in its WTM Portfolio: WTM Latin America, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and Africa Travel Week, which comprises of WTM Africa and International Luxury Travel Market Africa.The original dates of the events have had to be changed in response to the escalation of COVID-19. Firstly, ATM has been rescheduled from April 19-22, 2020 at Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE, to the new date of May 16-19, 2021 at the same venue. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said, “We are fully aware of the important role that ATM plays for industry professionals across the Middle East region and beyond. We are grateful for the full endorsement that we have received from our customers and partners, who assisted in helping us reach our decision and agreed the 2020 event should be rescheduled. In the meantime, while the physical show will be rescheduled to 2021, we will keep the industry connected by hosting an ATM Virtual Event from June 1-3, 2020 featuring a series of webinars, live conference sessions, speed networking events, one-on-one meetings and much more.” WTM Latin America 2020, which was due to take place from 31 March-2 April, will now be held from October 20-22, 2020 at the same venue, Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo. Luciane Leite, Director WTM Latin America, said, “We appreciate the hard work that goes into the planning and preparations that our partners and exhibitors prepare for the event and we have to unite in this challenging period. These are difficult times, but I am sure that together we will emerge stronger from this situation.” Meanwhile, Africa Travel …

Arabian Travel Market’s (ATM) 2020 edition has been postponed due to COVID-19 and the next edition will be held from May 16 to 19, 2021. “In light of the changing global situation relating to the global pandemic, we have continued to monitor the impact it is having not just on our industry, but on society in general. Many meetings took place with the Dubai World Trade Centre and we reviewed other options to organise an event in the last quarter. However, after consultation with our key stakeholders and after listening to our industry, ultimately it became apparent that the best course of action, and with everyone’s best interests in mind, is to postpone the event to 2021,” said the organisers of ATM. The organisers added, “Therefore, Arabian Travel Market will now be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in 2021, following the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr celebrations. Discussions took place at the highest level both internally and externally with local and federal government, partners, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees who all endorsed our evaluation of the current situation and our decision to act once again, without delay.” “We are fully aware of the important role that ATM plays for industry professionals right across the Middle East region and beyond, and we believe it is our responsibility to deliver a safe and successful event when we are able to do so. The live show will be rescheduled to 2021, but until then we’ll keep you connected. We are firmly focused on delivering positive business and networking opportunities to the Middle East’s vast travel and tourism community and as such are excited to announce that we will …

Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced the postponment of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to June 28 – July 1, 2020, at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE. The statement issued by Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of ATM, said, “We at Arabian Travel Market want to express our concern for everyone impacted by coronavirus. Like all of you, we have carefully monitored the global health crisis related to COVID-19. Our top priority is the health and safety of everyone involved in Arabian Travel Market; employees, partners, customers and exhibitors.” The organisers added, “Due to the escalation of the COVID-19 epidemic around the world, after consultation with all our stakeholders, the venue management, supporting associations, and in alignment with the advice from the UAE public health authorities regarding travel to and from impacted countries, we have taken the decision to postpone our event which was due to take place on April 19– 22, 2020 in Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Whilst the UAE is following the strictest medical and hygiene protocols in line with international standards, we have made this decision in the best interest of the industry to enable us to organise an event which provides effective participation and experience for all. The announcement has been made at the earliest opportunity to give as much notice as possible to all stakeholders enabling them to make the necessary arrangements to reschedule their plans, and ensure even stronger attendance in June.”

The participation of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018 concluded after four  days showcasing distinct business growth, increased tourist arrivals and significant new partnership deals. Leading a large delegation to ATM, DCT Abu Dhabi was joined by 77 stakeholders representing more than 90 products in order to build further momentum behind increased guest arrival numbers. Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector is enjoying steady growth as the emirate continues to position itself as an attractive destination for visitors and investors alike. In 2017, Abu Dhabi attracted a record number of guests, around 5 million (4,875,499), which was a growth of 9.8% on the previous year. Abu Dhabi is now targeting an annual increase of 11%. This year, DCT Abu Dhabi achieved record first quarter hotel traffic amounting to a 10.9% rise over the corresponding period of 2017. This growth was driven by a surge of visitors from the UK, Germany, India, China, United States and the GCC region. On the back of this impressive performance, the Department is moving closer to achieving its target of welcoming 8.5 million guests to Abu Dhabi by 2021. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi is an inspiring destination and we invite visitors to truly experience its authentic cultural heritage and world-class facilities. The consecutive increases for guest arrivals is clear testament to the Emirate’s growing international appeal. At ATM, we have successfully positioned the capital as a global destination of distinction built on unique experiences and a rich cultural heritage.”