ATM 2021 to help shape the future of travel and tourism

By Shilpa Annie Joseph, Official Reporter
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Dubai
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Middle East’s leading global event for the inbound and outbound travel industry, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 will take place in person with the theme ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 16 to 19.

According to the statement, the region’s largest travel and tourism showcase has attracted key exhibitors from inbound and outbound markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UK, China, Germany, Russia, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, and the US.

And, this year the exhibition will see participation from around 60 countries. Many destinations participating in ATM this year will be hoping to attract GCC visitors in the second half of this year. The Maldives, for example, will have a significant presence at ATM, as will perennial favorites like Malaysia and Thailand, as well as Germany, Greece, Italy, and Switzerland.

Danielle Curtis
Danielle Curtis
Exhibition Director
ATM

“This is an impressive response from travel and tourism organizations across all travel sectors, given the various travel restrictions in place around the world, and provides a major boost for the travel industry in the Middle East. The Maldives has done exceptionally well in 2021 so far, welcoming over 200,000 visitors in the first two months of the year. It is one of the top destinations for UAE travelers and to cope with the increased demand, in the March Emirates announced it was increasing its services over the Easter holidays, offering customers 28 weekly flights to Male, up from the scheduled 24 weekly flights.”

Attributes of ATM 2021

ATM 2021 is spread across nine halls. There will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time, following the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations.

ATM 2021 will features 67 conference sessions with over 145 local, regional and international speakers. On-site, there will be a Global Stage with a hotel industry summit, dedicated buyer forums for Saudi Arabia and China, an International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC), an aviation panel, and a special session on Gulf-Israeli relations.

Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts providing industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism, will be another feature this year.

ATM 2021 will once again be a key component of Arabian Travel Week, which will include exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches, and networking events.

As per the reports, “This year the introduction of a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later (from 24 to 26) to complement and 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.”

“This is now an integral part of the ATM offering. Not every industry professional from around the world can attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” Ms. Curtis added.

The strategic partners of ATM 2021 are Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) as Destination Partner, Emaar Hospitality Group as Official Hotel Partner, Emirates as Official Airline Partner, and The Vision as Official Destination Management Partner.

Related: Gulf Construction Expo 2021 to start off in November

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