The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022 is ready to welcome the international travel and tourism community in the UAE to explore the future of tourism, which is witnessing further recovery during 2022, with global markets reopening and airlines rebuilding their network and capabilities to pre-pandemic levels.
The exhibition will be held from Monday, the 9th of May until the 12th of it, only to have a virtual version of itself a week later, from May 17 to 18. The event is scheduled to host 1,500 exhibitors and representatives from 112 global destinations, and 20,000 visitors.
The ATM is the Middle East’s leading exhibition for outbound and inbound travel, and provides a unique platform to meet clients and those interested in the travel and tourism sector and participate in new business development meetings.
Participants look forward to concluding agreements, forming partnerships and strengthening working relations.
The future of global travel and tourism
Under the theme “The Future of Global Travel and Tourism”, ATM 2022 will feature a large number of sessions and events, allowing industry professionals from around the world and regional and international brands to discuss current trends and explore long-term opportunities in the fields of travel, transportation, tourism, hospitality, events, attractions and more.
32 percent expected rise in commercial travel expenses in the Middle East
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, business travel expenditures in the Middle East are expected to rise by 32 percent this year.
Data from Mordor Intelligence, a market research provider, expects the aviation industry in the Middle East to grow at a compound rate of more than 6% during the period between 2022 and 2027.
Although the estimated recovery of international passenger traffic is gradual, “Mordor Intelligence” shows that the private and domestic aviation sectors in the Middle East have remained resilient during the pandemic period and are showing signs of growth, and recovery.
The 29th edition of the exhibition, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center in cooperation with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, will form an essential part of the annual Arab Travel Week in the UAE.
The exhibition area will also be 85 percent larger than it was in last year’s edition.
Putting travel and tourism industry on a strong recovery path
Keri Prince, CEO of Global Growth at RX, is looking forward to the new edition of the Arabian Travel Market, “which provides an impetus to put our industry firmly on the path to a strong and sustainable recovery alongside our partners in the Dubai Department of Tourism and Economy and of course the Dubai World Trade Center.”
The opening session, which will be moderated by Eleni Geokos of CNN International, will include: Issam Kazim, CEO of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, Scott Livermore, Chief Economist at Oxford Economics, and Jochem Jean Sliver, Head of the Hilton chain of hotels in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.
Issam Kazim, CEO of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, said about the department’s participation in ATM: “Dubai has continued its progress and growth since resuming its economic activities and receiving international visitors in July 2020, and joint efforts have contributed to reaching more achievements by building on this momentum year after year, which has helped us attain the remarkable success at Expo 2020 Dubai.”
Notable events
Among the many highlights of the show is the revamped and rebranded Travel Tech, formerly called Travel Forward, which has experienced an annual expansion of nearly 400 percent.
In addition to the latest travel technology products and services, the TravelTech Theater will host a series of seminars, discussions and presentations that will highlight the long-term paths of tourism in the Middle East.
This year’s edition of the event will see the launch of the ATM’s “Draper-Aladdin” competition for start-ups that give the opportunity to compete for additional funding in the amount of $500,000, in addition to a chance to appear on the popular Tim Draper TV show, Meet the Drapers.
Highlights of the 2022 edition will include destination summits highlighting key resource markets Saudi Arabia, China and India, and the Arival Dubai Forum where leading travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world gather to explore the next generation of trends and innovations for tourism activities within a single destination.
ATM 2022 will also host dedicated summits on the global stage, highlighting the aviation, hotel, sports and retail tourism sectors, and a special symposium for investment in the hospitality sector.
The Tourism Investment Middle East Summit at the Arabian Travel Market 2022 will include presentation of future visions by a group of experts.
Virtual week
A virtual event for the ATM will be launched a week after the main event, from 17 to 18 May, as the organizing company aims through this to reach a larger segment in this industry and to attract many specialists and global experts in this field who are not currently able to attend the annual event.
