Tag Archives: ATM

The AA Al Moosa pavilion welcomed the visit of His Highness Sheikh Humaid Bin Ammar Al Nuaimi of Ajman who was received by Abdullah Ahmed Al Moosa, founder and owner of AA Al Moosa Enterprises, and expressed his fascination by the portfolio and history of the company, and the iconis three upcoming hotels in the Palm. The pavilion drew a large number of visitors and served as a key platform for networking and meetings between government officials, key chain hotels executives, major tour operators, partners and representatives of leading travel and tourism companies. The highlight of the group’s participation was the unveiling of three iconic hotel projects that will be opening on the Palm namely Hilton The Palm, TAJ Exotica Resort & Spa and Marriott The Palm. The hotels with a target opening of 2019 will bring an additional 1,500 rooms and suites to the current inventory of hotel rooms in Dubai and will increase the company’s portfolio to a total of 4730 rooms. In addition to Hilton The Palm, TAJ Exotica Resort & Spa and Marriott The Palm, other hotel properties that the Group currently owned were represented at the show such as Hilton Jumeirah Beach, Hilton Salalah, Hilton Creek, Four Points by Sheraton Sheikh Zayed Road, Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Dubai, Ramada Plaza JBR, Ramada Hotel & Suites Sharjah and Crowne Plaza Muscat.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has launched Dubai Pass for visitors to enjoy the city’s range of attractions, experiences and tours. It is an all-inclusive pre-paid card, grants cash-free access to 33 key events and venues across Dubai, making it the perfect way for tourists to explore the city’s world-class destination proposition. It will be available to redeem from May 16, 2018. Starting at AED399, the pass offers ‘Select’ and ‘Unlimited’ packages, with a specially-curated list of popular attractions and experiences. These include Burj Khalifa, Dubai Parks and Resorts, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Wild Wadi Waterpark, Ski Dubai, Desert Safari Tours, and many more. With every purchase, visitors will also receive a 50% discount on tickets to La Perle – the city’s one-of-a-kind live entertainment show with acrobatics and aerial stunts – by simply presenting their Dubai Pass when buying a ticket to the show. The ‘Select’ package is priced at AED399. It allows card users to enjoy a range of attractions – one from each of the three-tiered attraction pools. The pass is valid over seven consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Meanwhile, the unlimited package is available for AED899. Users can choose unlimited events and activities, and the pass is valid for three days. The year-round Dubai Pass has been introduced following the success of previous seasonal DSS and DSF passes. It will provide a streamlined way for people to experience Dubai, save money and make the most of their trip with family and friends.

 In an effort to increase arrivals of tourists from the Asian and Middle East markets, Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Priscah Mupfumira has led a tourism delegation to Dubai to attend the Arabian Travel Market (ATM). During the show, the minister met with strategic decision makers including leading tour operators, airlines and other government officials. Tourist arrivals have increased from a mere 657 in 2003 to 3,148 in 2004 and only reached a peak in 2009 when 10,077 tourist arrivals were recorded. In 2017, the country recorded 7,537 arrivals, a 58% increase from 4,783 arrivals recorded in 2016.  Zimbabwe has generated a lot of interest as a tourist destination ever since the inauguration of the new President. One of the very first positive actions that were taken by the new government was to relook at all the legislation that had been constraining investment inflows into Zimbabwe. Now the new administration has put in place supportive measures that seek to rebuild confidence and increase Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in order to revive the national economy. Zimbabwe is now ready for the Middle East market, where access from Dubai is through Emirates, Kenya Airways, Rwanda Air, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airways. The destination offers a wide range of luxury accommodation options for the Middle East market ranging from city hotels, lodges and tented camps across the country. The country has a variety of activities that suits different market segments from thoughtful to soft adventure for all ages.

Emirates has unveiled its new Boeing 777-300ER First Class Private Suite at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The airline is also showcasing its latest Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the A380 onboard lounge, along with other products such as the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of its Economy Class seats. Visitors can experience the Emirates network through an interactive 60 second challenge played on a touchscreen route map. Last year, the airline launched new passenger routes to Newark via Athens, Zagreb and Phnom Penh, and later this year, Emirates will begin services to London Stanstead and Santiago de Chile. This year marks Emirates’ 25th year of partnership and commitment to ATM. When the exhibition first opened its doors in 1993, Emirates flew 15 aircraft to 32 destinations and carried 2 million passengers. The Emirates stand at ATM will offer visitors a chance to experience the airline’s recently-launched products and service enhancements. The game changing, fully enclosed first-class private suites on exhibit have floor to ceiling sliding doors, soft leather seating, high-tech control panels and mood lighting. Incorporating cutting-edge technology, the suites also feature several world-firsts, including ‘virtual windows’ using real-time fibre-optic camera technology, a NASA inspired ‘zero-gravity’ seating position and a personal video-call service.

Chinese arrivals to the GCC is set to increase 21 per cent by 2021, rising to 2.5 million visitors annually, according to data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2018, to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25. The data predicts Saudi Arabia will experience the highest proportionate increase in arrivals from China, up 35 per cent on 2016 figures. The UAE will follow at 20 per cent, with Oman at 12 per cent and Bahrain and Kuwait at 7 per cent. GCC countries currently attract 1.9 per cent of China’s total outbound market, up from 1.3 per cent in 2012, however positive trends are expected to continue as 154 million Chinese tourists prepare to go abroad in 2018. Figures from ATM 2017 show the number of delegates, exhibitors and attendees interested in doing business with China had increased 63 per cent on the previous year. Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said, “The outbound Chinese market represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers and the GCC has been a destination of choice for years. Owing to its many business opportunities and a new generation of leisure attractions, figures show the GCC is poised to further capitalise on these trends over the coming years as millions of Chinese make their first international trip.”

Travellers from Arab countries account for more than one third of the total tourist traffic to Egypt in 2016, and forecasts for 2017 are positive and are in continuous growth. H.E. Yehia Rashed, Minister of Tourism in Egypt, said: “Arab tourism to Egypt in 2016 represented 36.3 percent of the total tourist traffic to Egypt, which is more than one third of the total traffic. Saudi Arabia ranked first amongst incoming Arab tourists, with a total of 507 thousand tourists visiting Egypt, followed by Jordan, with 180 thousand tourists, and Kuwait with about 150 thousand tourists and Lebanon with nearly 86 thousand. The total number of travelers from Arab countries to Egypt reached 2 million tourists in 2016, compared to 1.7 million Arab tourists in 2015, which marks an increase of 13.2 percent, whereas in the first quarter of 2017, the number of Arab tourists increased by 38.8 percent when compared to the same period last year.” The Ministry of Tourism of Egypt and Egyptian Tourism Authority announced their participation at the Arabian Travel Market, taking place in Dubai from April 24-27. The participation is in line with both of their efforts to highlight Egypt’s enormous tourism potential and focuses on the various destinations that attracts tourists from all over the world, especially Arabs. “Our participation at the Arabian Travel Markets primarily aims at engaging and communicating effectively with our partners and stakeholders in the region and to enhance the efforts to attract Arab tourists to Egypt. The Arab market represents one of the most significant markets exporting tourism to Egypt. This is due to several reasons, most importantly because of the proximity to many Arab countries and similarity of …

Dubai witnessed the largest ATM with over 2600 exhibitors and 65 national pavilions as it was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Al Maktoum Bin Rashid today at the Dubai World Trade Center. The region’s leading travel industry with insightful seminar sessions, four days of business networking opportunities expects over 30,000 visitors during the next few days with over 35 seminars.

The Travel Agents’ Academy will return to Arabian Travel Market in 2017 with two half-day sessions on Thursday 27 April, at Dubai World Trade Centre. Beginning at 10am in Hall 1, scheduled topics for the free-to-attend 2017 programme include itinerary planning, sales training and destination briefings, with a networking break, refreshments and a course completion certificate for all delegates. Tackling one of the most pressing issues for travel agents, the first session will see Rohit Bassi, Managing Director of In Learning, return to ATM following an incredibly popular address at ATM 2016. This year, Bassi will discuss “Soul of Sales – The Nine Universal Principles” which includes how to teach travel agents how to build credibility and connection with clients; how to identify and offer solutions to clients; negotiation and management techniques; and to manage the transformation from sale to client relationship. Bassi, who established In Learning in 2011, is renowned for teaching a range of key business skills and is the only licensed trainer for Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® in the UAE, which builds on the teachings of the self-development book written by Susan Jeffers.  He has previously consulted for Nielsen, Al Ghurair Iron & Steel, Emirates NBD, Bayt.com, DFS Logistics, Alshaya, Oracle, EMC, Emaar Hospitality, Harley-Davidson, HSBC and ADBC. Following on will be Sundar Vasudayen, Principle Consultant at TRS Consulting will share itinerary planning tips for well-travelled clients looking for something unique.   Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said: “The Travel Agents’ Academy at this year’s Arabian Travel Market is being held at a timely juncture in the role of travel agents. Travel trends analyst Skift noted how, a few years back, the digital …

The global wellness industry grew 10.6 per cent to become a $3.72 trillion market in 2015, with the spa market a key driver according to new research from the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). The research mirrored the growth in the MENA region of the tourism-related industry with the UAE at the forefront of growth. The burgeoning sector will be showcased once again at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) as the dedicated Wellness & Spa Lounge returns for 2017. Over 35 exhibitors representing some of the world’s most recognised health and wellness hospitality destinations will attend with an increase of 40 per cent on last year’s numbers. According to research from Colliers Experiential Travel Series: Wellness, Spa and Medical Travel 2017, the UAE spa industry is estimated to be valued at AED1.7 billion, accounting for 14 per cent of the MENA spa market, and expected to surpass AED1.85 billion by 2020. Dubai currently has more than 200 spas in operation, with 25 new hotel spas expected to open this year. Furthermore, the Dubai hotel spa market continues to experience increasing demand according to the Colliers report with a 9 per cent increase in the average number of treatments sold per day in H1 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. “The global wellness industry has witnessed incredible growth in recent years as more and more people incorporate healthy habits into holidays and corporate travel, with an increasing trend of travelers willing to commit their time and money to wellness proving to be a major driving force when making vacation decisions. The surge of interest in this specialist tourism industry vertical has resulted in a 40% increase of exhibitors and dedicated wellness and spa …

Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisers of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) showcase in Dubai, from 24-27 April 2017, has announced that it will host the first ATM Global Halal Tourism Summit as part of its line-up of special focus events. The one-day summit, scheduled to take place on Wednesday April 26, 2017, on the Global Stage, will feature three interactive seminar sessions covering the big picture, halal destination strategies and how to sell halal travel, led by leading Muslim travel industry experts including Faeez Fadhlillah, Co-founder & CEO, Salam Standard & Tripfez; Nabeel Shariff, Founder and Director of Serendipity Tailormade and Luxury Halal Travel. A 2014 report by Thomson Reuters valued the global halal food and lifestyle sector at US$1.8 trillion and this is expected to reach US$2.6 trillion by 2020; That figure was supported by research commissioned by the Government of Dubai, and produced by Thomson Reuters in partnership with DinarStandard, which found that halal tourism represents 11.6% of global tourism expenditure, estimating the sector would be worth US$238 billion by 2019.