More than 2,300 exhibitors and representatives from more than 165 countries will be taking part in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, the largest travel and tourism exhibition in the region, which opens in at the Dubai World Trade Centre today.
The four-day event, being held under the theme “Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship”, is set to draw more than 41,000 experts who will be spotlighting a pivotal area for the travel and tourism industry.
The event organisers and representatives from the exhibition’s strategic partners, which include the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Emirates, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Al Rais Travel, have already outlined their plans for the event.
From start-ups to established brands, ATM 2024 will highlight how innovators are enhancing customer experiences, driving efficiencies and accelerating progress towards a net-zero future for the industry.
“ATM 2024 is gearing up for an exciting line-up spread across two stages, with the Global Stage returning alongside the new Future Stage. The conference agenda will feature key industry speakers from around the world and address the emerging trends that are fuelling the travel and tourism sector’s growth,” said Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market.
“An eagerly awaited addition to ATM 2024 is the new entrepreneurship-focused summit, which will delve into the role of travel start-ups in the Middle East economy, spotlighting their pioneering approaches,” she said.
“As entrepreneurship and innovation take centre stage, the exciting ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle, in partnership with Emirates Group’s Intelak provides the perfect platform to celebrate the immense potential for innovators in the region and for brands to present their industry solutions,” she added.
According to her, the number of participating hotel brands for ATM 2024 has increased by 21 per cent year-on-year, with a 58pc rise in new Travel Technology products showcased.
Several new destinations will be introduced at ATM 2024, including China, Macao, Kenya, Guatemala and Colombia, while returning countries include Spain and France, among many others. Upticks across all key verticals with year-on-year growth across all regions participation including ME 28pc, Asia and Europe 34pc, and Africa 26pc.
A dedicated India summit will take place on the opening day of ATM, highlighting a recent outbound travel boom from the market.
Titled “Unlocking the True Potential of Inbound Indian Travellers”, the summit will explore the dynamics of India as a key source market for tourism growth, as well as current and future opportunities.
Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing CEO Issam Kazim said: “The transformative theme of ATM 2024 will complement our efforts to create new pathways to growth beyond traditional tourism, as we focus on leveraging the huge potential of entrepreneurship and further accelerating momentum across our tourism industry.”
“The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will be joined by 129 stakeholders and partners on the Dubai stand at ATM, a testament to the vibrant public-private partnerships that play a pivotal role in tourism development in the emirate. We look forward to sharing insights into our successful tourism strategy with leaders and experts, and exploring the important themes and trends shaping the future of global tourism, while seeking to unlock new avenues for collaboration and partnership,” he added.
According to the organisers, environmental responsibility in the travel and tourism industry will continue to be a key focus at ATM, aligning with RX’s sustainability pledge and building on the momentum of last year’s theme, “Working Towards Net Zero”.
ATM 2024 will explore how innovation can be leveraged to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by building a greener travel and tourism sector for future generations.
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