As part of our commitment to supporting the Middle East tourism industry's recovery, Arabian Travel Market will host a range of events in Dubai to stimulate hotel, travel and tourism sectors. This will all be done under an ATM theme that has never been more relevant – 'A new dawn for travel and tourism.'
The Arabian Travel Week from May 16 to 26 is dedicated to travel professionals from all over the world, collaborating and shaping the recovery of the Middle East travel industry, through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events.
Essentially, Arabian Travel Week will provide a pivotal platform for the region's travel and tourism industry. Whether participating in-person at the events or virtually, over ten days – it will put a spotlight on Dubai, the UAE, GCC and of course the wider MENA region's tourism sector.
Reed Exhibitions has collaborated with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for 28 years. During this time, Arabian Travel Market has helped develop Dubai's reputation as one of the world's leading tourism destinations and now, more than ever, we have an integral role in supporting the recovery of tourism here and the rest of the region.
“This year's theme of 'A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism' has never been more relevant nor important”
– Danielle Curtis
In the in-person ATM event, there will be a whole host of live seminars on the show floor specifically designed to support, inspire, and innovate all travel and tourism professionals, looking at the latest technology and sustainability trends and profiling the next generation of global travellers.
There will also be an array of high-profile keynote speakers and world-class technology experts lined up for the Travel Forward Theatre, each providing industry-leading insights and discussing the latest technologies and trends that will shape the future of travel.
Other notable features of the in-person event include ILTM Arabia 2021, buyer forums with networking dedicated to key source markets including Saudi Arabia, India and China, a hotel summit, the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) summit and a responsible tourism programme.
This year's theme of 'A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism' has never been more relevant nor important. This message of recovery will be integrated into all of the show verticals and planned activities.
To complement the four-day in-person show, for the first time, we have a launched a new hybrid format which will mean a virtual ATM running a week after the in-person show enabling us to 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 to include a virtual element as part of Arabian Travel Week because many industry professionals from around the world may not be able to attend the in-person event.
ATM Virtual will feature a range of comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, virtual digital influencers’ speed networking session, one-to-one meetings, destination briefing, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities – all the tools required to drive the recovery message.
One of the highlights of the Arabian Travel Week agenda, Arival Dubai @ ATM, will form an integral part of ATM Virtual. This event will feature a series of sessions covering current and future trends for tour operators and attractions.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organisation, will also be participating at ATM Virtual for the first time. The GBTA will deliver the latest business travel content, research and education to drive the post-pandemic recovery and support growth in business travel.
Of course, we will be ensuring the show strictly adheres to all DWTC’s stringent health and safety guidelines and will set out to provide a touchless and seamless experience. The team at DWTC are working hard to ensure that all events run safely and have implemented a range of measures including an enhanced cleaning regime, improved air circulation, multiple hand sanitiser stations and temperature checks.
Now truly is a new dawn for travel and tourism, and we are committed to supporting the industry to make it happen.
* The writer is Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market