The sky is the limit

ON THE eve of the launch of its 21st event, TTN speaks to Reed Travel Exhibitions portfolio director Mark Walsh on what to expect this year at Arabian Travel Market. The event takes place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from May 5 to 8.

This is the 21st chapter of ATM. How big is the event expected to be this year versus when it was launched in 1994?

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) was launched in 1994, and its target was to become the World Travel Market (WTM) of the Middle East. At the time, extensive research undertaken by Reed Travel indicated there was a real need for an event of this kind to complement one of the world’s fastest growing tourism regions.

The dramatic growth of the show from just 2,000 square metres in 1994 to 22,000 square metres and 21,096 visitors in 2013 (a 20 per cent increase on 2012), reflects the amazing rise to prominence of the tourism sector in the region, and Dubai especially.

In 2013 we had 171 hosted buyers and Buyers Club attendance reached 4,085, up from 3,296.

This year ATM will showcase a 10 per cent increase in the number of main stand holders representing well over 2,500 companies across 23,500 square metres of packed floor space expanding into an additional hall. This represents an 8 per cent increase in floor space. Newly revealed statistics record rising demand from Travel Technology companies up 14 per cent, Middle East and UAE exhibitors up 11 per cent, and Asia and Hotels rising by 7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

What can visitors and exhibitors expect from ATM 2014?

ATM is an annual industry event and we need to constantly innovate and redefine our line-up in order to stay ahead of market trends, technology and to offer both exhibitors and visitors a 360-degree experience.

This year we will see some exciting new additions to the four-day agenda including the launch of the first of our specialised annual themes, which for 2014 will be a dedicated ‘Spotlight on Luxury’, which holds particular relevance for the region.

This will encompass several luxury-specific seminars as well as hosted buyers representing this valuable market segment plus high-end exhibitors including well-known hospitality brands like Anantara Resorts & Spas, Mandarin Oriental, Kerzner International, Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissotel Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, Oberoi Resorts & Resorts, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company as well as The Meritage Collection and The Resort at Pelican Hill in the US; along with luxury destinations such as Monaco, Mauritius, Maldives and the Seychelles.

Another new feature is our centrally located ATM Live Wall, where participants will be able to view live streaming of industry interviews, seminar excerpts and other show highlights.

We will also be debuting the Exhibitor Showcase Theatre. Located in the middle of the action on the show floor it offers a limited number of exhibitors a 30 minute slot during which they have the opportunity to present their products and services.

Finally, this year’s popular Exhibition Trails will cover shopping, careers, budget travel, health and wellbeing, air travel and water-based tourism.

How many people are expected to attend this year?

For ATM 2014 we have over 2,500 confirmed exhibitors from across the globe covering 23,500 square metres of floor space and over 21,000 trade visitors are expected. 

Which exhibitors are making their debut at this year’s event?

We have over 100 new exhibitors at this year’s show including Kenzi Hospitality, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Al Rais Tours & Holidays, Al-Futtaim Travel, Kuwait Airways and Akbar Gulf Travels of India.

What are the main highlights of the seminar programme this year?

We have a calendar of more than 30 wide-ranging seminar and tech theatre sessions planned for ATM 2014 with topics covering aviation, mobile trends and the rising demand for wellness tourism.

As always, ATM will welcome some of the region’s most influential business leaders including Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia; Simon Lynch, director of business development, Abercrombie & Kent; and Mohammed Al Dhaheri, strategy and policy director, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

Cruise tourism is back on the agenda, and we have a line-up of experts representing, among others, Costa, Royal Caribbean and Gulf Ventures, with the chance to examine international trends and discuss how travel experts across the Middle East can sell and market both regional and international cruise itineraries.

Supporting our ‘Spotlight on Luxury’ theme, there will be an hour-long session hosted by leading luxury travel industry ambassadors including Travel Attaché CEO, Liam Wholey, and Jacqueline Campbell from the Travel Collection, will discuss the global luxury travel arena and give Gulf destinations tips on ensuring their proposition caters to HNWI travellers.

At our popular Sabre Travel Technology Theatre we have 16 sessions scheduled, covering everything from hints and tips for building your brand online to how to find and work with travel bloggers. 

Tech fans should also make time to attend our Digital Tourism Think Tank on the impact of mobile in travel. 

What do you expect to be the major trends at this year’s show?

Luxury is clearly a trend that will command increased attention both on the show floor and in the seminar sessions.
If you look at the region there can be few places on earth that have such a concentration of luxury five-star hotels as well as access to a luxury lifestyle. According to a 2012 Credit Suisse report, the number of millionaires in the UAE is set to grow by 12 per cent by 2017, reaching 48,000 individuals. GCC nationals also spend 260 per cent more on airfares against other nationalities, with between 40 to 60 per cent booking business class travel, and also spending 430 per cent more on accommodation and 558 per cent more on dining.

Luxury tourism, both inbound and outbound, is also heavily allied with high-end retail and a UK tourism report published by transaction company Global Blue noted that Middle East travellers made up 26 per cent of the total spend by international visitors between January and July 2013, with a focus on luxury goods.

Luxury retail in the UAE is valued at around $6 billion per annum, according to a 2013 fourth quarter report from upscale regional retailer The Chalhoub Group, with Dubai boasting 82 per cent of the world’s leading luxury brands, and an enviable position as the number one global city targeted by retailers in 2011, ahead of London, Paris and New York.

At the other end of the spectrum we see ongoing interest and discussions around the opportunities in the mid-market tourism category, from accommodation to activities. For Dubai as a destination to broaden its appeal, it must introduce a mid-range tier of accommodation and with the government already looking at offering incentives for investors to do so, it is set to become increasingly important in the next few years. 

The growth of home-grown brands is the third trend that we have identified, and is covered in a later question.

How many hosted buyers will we see this year? Who are the major buyers?

We will be bringing up to 120 buyers to Arabian Travel Market this year. They will be made up of buyers from all the different geographical markets around the world with a large proportion of them coming from the GCC and wider Middle East region. In terms of the types of buyers, there will be buyers from the luxury, cruise, and medical and wider leisure markets.

We focus each year on bringing a good cross selection of buyers on the programme ranging from the smaller firms all the way up to the larger companies all of whom have confirmed their attendance on the programme for 2014.

What are the expectations from home-grown brands in the Middle East?

Home-grown hotel brands from across the Middle East will have a significant presence at this year’s ATM. The creation and growth of stand-alone independent local brands is a major trend, providing owners with an added or alternative point of distinction and therefore an additional competitive edge.

Another interesting phenomenon is the way that some of the more established home-grown hotel brands from the Middle East are not only on the rise throughout the region, but are also expanding into other markets, predominantly in Europe and Asia, with Dubai’s Jumeirah Group leading the way.

Exhibiting at ATM is a popular choice for independent local brands, first of all it is a great networking platform for them and a cost-effective way to create brand awareness to over 21,000 industry professionals. They can showcase their brand attributes face-to-face with specific industry stakeholders as well as identifying opportunities to export their brand into new locations and markets.

Representing the region this year we have established independent hospitality brands such as Emaar Hospitality, Jumeirah, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Hospitality Management Holdings (the owner of the Coral Hotels & Resorts), Address, TI’ME and JA.

Will the announcement of Dubai’s win at Expo 2020 play any role at this year’s ATM?

The Expo2020 bid win has undoubtedly put Dubai and the UAE back on the front page and the world is eager to see how government investment and private sector participation both in-country and around the world will come together to make this a world-class event.

Dubai is aiming to double the number of visitors to the emirate to 20 million by 2020 and triple tourism receipts in the process. Expo2020 will touch all sectors of the economy and the benefits for tourism and hospitality are significant.

During the Expo period, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021, the forecasted figure of 25 million visitors is already seeing government investment into additional infrastructure, services and attractions. It also conveniently leads in to the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2021, which presents the industry with a unique opportunity to continue the momentum of Expo2020.

What is the exciting PechaKucha initiative going to be? 

TTN Travel Agents Competition – This brand new session is going to be aimed at travel agents, we will see 4 companies showcase their destination or company through a pecha kucha presentation - 20 slides, 20 seconds, 20 questions.

Pecha kucha is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds.  The images advance automatically and you talk along to the images.

With knowledge to be gained and prizes up for grabs this is one session that no travel agent can afford to miss.