Middle
East’s largest travel trade event will celebrate its 25th year, with
over 2,500 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 visitors, showcasing the
largest ever hotel exhibition space in the show’s history
Arabian
Travel Market (ATM) 2018, the region’s leading travel industry showcase, opens
its doors on Sunday 22nd April for four days of business networking
opportunities and insightful seminar sessions, where deals worth over US$2.5
billion will be agreed.
Now
in its 25th year, the 2018 edition will
welcome over 2,500 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 visitors, with
over 150 countries represented, 65 national pavilions, and more than 100 new
exhibitors set to make their ATM debut.
Building on the success of last year, ATM
2018, which takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25, will
showcase the largest exhibition of regional and global hotel brands in the
history of ATM, with hotels comprising 20% of the total show area.
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition
Director, ATM said: “Arabian Travel Market continues to be the preferred route
to market for many international and regional hospitality brands and the
increase in hotel exhibition space in 2018 reflects the hundreds of new
property and brand launches we have seen during the last 12 months.
“Over the coming years, we will see these new properties prosper
as millions more tourists visit the
region for the first time. The last 12 months brought unprecedented
developments in major markets and the region is poised for further great
developments in 2018.”
Celebrating its 25th
year, ATM 2018 will adopt Responsible Tourism – including sustainable travel
trends – as its official show theme, integrating it across all show verticals
and activities, including advice clinics and focused seminar sessions,
featuring dedicated exhibitor participation.
Press added: “The tourism
industry in the GCC has grown ten-fold and more since we first opened our show
doors 25 years ago. With a host of top speakers lined up and panel sessions for
ATM 2018, we will be looking back on the tourism revolution in the Middle East
over the last quarter of a century and also forecasting what lies ahead for the
industry, with continuing geopolitical tensions across the globe, economic
uncertainties, huge technological advances and, of course, the increasing trend
of responsible tourism.”
Hyperloop and future travel
experiences will kick off proceedings on ATM’s Global Stage on Sunday 22nd
April between 13.30 and 14.30. Moderating the session, Richard Dean, a
UAE-based business broadcaster and presenter will be joined by a host of
high-profile panellists including Christoph Mueller, Chief Digital
and Innovation officer,
Emirates Airline and Harj Dhaliwal, Managing Director Middle East and India
Operations, Hyperloop One.
This year, ATM
has partnered with International Hotel Investment Conference (IHIF) organisers
to present the inaugural Destination Investment panel. Taking
place on the ATM Global Stage, the session will discuss what drives
investment in travel destinations across the Middle East and neighbouring
regions.
Also debuting this year will be the ATM
Student Conference – ‘Career in Travel’ – a programme aimed at students and
graduates who are looking to pursue a career in the travel and tourism
industry. Taking place on the final day of ATM, this programme will allow
‘tomorrow’s’ travel professionals and hoteliers, to listen to guest speakers
and travel industry leaders.
Perennial calendar
favourites at ATM 2018 include the ultra-innovative Travel Tech Show, ILTM
Arabia and the Travel Agent Academy as well as the Buyers’ Club and the
Wellness and Spa Lounge, both of which offer excellent opportunities to meet
and network with likeminded individuals and organisations.
Issam Kazim,
CEO, Dubai’s Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said:
“This year marks the 25th edition of Arabian Travel Market and we are extremely
pleased to be able to extend our support once more. In 2017, His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, launched
Dubai Government’s 10X Initiative and as a result our projects and initiatives
reflect this vision, designed to leverage new technologies and build on our
‘digital, mobile and social first’ agenda. Along with our partners on the Dubai
stand we look forward to presenting just some of these immersive experiences –
from witnessing Dubai in virtual reality, to our partners from Expo providing
insights into the masterplan and much more.”
Thierry
Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline
said: “As we celebrate 25 years of partnership and commitment to ATM, it’s
remarkable to think how far this event has come in the region, as well as on
the global stage, and as an airline we are proud of the role we have played in
its growth. International air connectivity is a key driver in tourism, and for
the hosting of regional industry events like ATM. With 159 destinations across
six continents in our growing network, we will continue to bring travellers to
and through Dubai, by innovating and providing the best customer experiences to
earn their loyalty to make Emirates their first choice whenever they think of
travel.”
Olivier Harnisch, Chief Executive Officer of
Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Now in its 25th year,
the Arabian Travel Market has played a transformational role in shaping the
tourism and hospitality sector of the region. As one of the leading global
platforms that present the newest trends in the industry, the event presents
diverse opportunities for all stakeholders to strengthen their business. As the
Official Hotel Partner of the event, Emaar Hospitality Group will present its
three hotel brands - the premium lifestyle Address Hotels + Resorts, the
upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts and contemporary midscale Rove Hotels
– and their growing footprint. In addition to presenting our digital
transformation strategy, we will highlight our focus on innovation to enhancing
customer service standards.”
Anwar A.Z Abu Monassar,
Destination Director, Strategy & Operation, The Vision, said: “With ATM coming back again
as a great show to connect and share, we at The Vision Destination Management are
proud of another successful season where we witnessed growth in strong
partnerships, both in leisure and events. The Vision’s commitment and recognition, not only as event
planner in showcasing the destination, but also as reality that involves and
promotes segments of the society is a never-ending focus that we pursue. During
the present year we involved reputed and experienced figures that do not only
guide travelers, but literally bring them into the local reality in all its
different segments. We developed skills of Life Coaching within our team to
allow our clients to deeply understand our context, from the past to the future.”
celebrates
25 years
Arabian Travel Market first
opened its doors in 1994 at the Dubai World Trade Centre with 52 nations, 300
exhibitors and 7,000 trade visitors. 25 years later, ATM now facilitates $2.5
billion in industry deals and attracts 2,500 exhibitors from 153 countries and
over 28,000 influential visitors.
25 years of ATM – Industry
& fun facts
1994
·
ATM
launches with the Arabic name of ‘Multaqa’ – meaning ‘the meeting place’
·
The
Channel Tunnel between England and France opened on May 6th
·
The
World Wide Web was born, and with it, Hyatt Hotels and Hotel Corporation became
the first hotel chains to launch websites on the internet
·
Travelweb
creates the first online catalogue (and later booking system) of hotels
1995
·
ATM
moves to Bahrain for one year only
·
Novus
(later became SITA) provided first online booking to be made by credit card
1996
·
Fujairah
Tourism Bureau is established
·
The
first Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race is held
·
Larry
Page and Sergy Brin discover a new way to catalogue everything on the web with
a search engine called Google
1997
·
Dubai
Tourism the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is established
in January and exhibits at ATM, replacing the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion
Board (DCTPB) that was set up in 1989
·
Jumeirah
Hotels & Resorts Company is founded with the aim to become a hospitality
industry leader through establishing a world class portfolio of luxury hotels
and resorts. Its first development was the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
·
1998
·
Jordan
Tourism Board is officially launched at ATM
·
Lastminute.com
launched its playful online travel agency in Europe.
1999
·
Burj
Al Arab, the world's tallest offshore hotel, opens in December 1999.
2000
·
Saudi
Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
was founded in 2000
·
Construction
of the Palm Jumeirah Island begins in June, 2000. The island has been created
using 94 million cubic metres of sand and 7 million tonnes of rock.
·
TripAdvisor
was launched.
·
Emirates
is the first airline to sign-up to the A380
2001
·
The
first Dubai Cruise Terminal opens in 2001
2002
·
Saudi Commission for tourism & national heritage launches
at ATM, at Airport Expo Dubai
·
Launch
of ‘Meridian Club’, now called the ATM Buyers’ Club’ and exclusive club of
senior buyers visiting the show
·
The
official opening of Al-Mamlaka Tower in Riyadh. It is the tallest tower in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
·
Dubai
International is ranked the second fastest growing airport in the world according
to Airports Council International (ACI) traffic statistics. The facility
handled around 18 million passengers in 2003 and was established as the
aviation hub of the Middle East.
2003
·
ATM
celebrates 10 years
·
Air
Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and
North Africa, is launched.
·
Etihad
Airways, launches as UAE flag carrier.
2004
·
Al
Jazeera Airline starts operations in April. It is the first non-government
owned airline in the Middle East and continues to be one of the few Middle-East
based non-government owned airlines to this day.
·
Harvard
student Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook, the social network that
inspired generations to live their lives (and travels) on the web.
2005
·
ATM
crosses the 10,000 visitor threshold attracting almost 11,000 travel trade
visitors
·
Ski
Dubai in Mall of the Emirates, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East,
opens.
2006
·
Study
from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory determines that Greenland's glaciers are
melting twice as fast as previously estimated.
2007
·
Petra
is declared as one of the seven wonders in that year by Swiss film producer,
author and aviator Bernard Werber
·
Nakheel,
developers of the Palm Jumeirah, completed the construction of the man-made
island.
2008
·
Emaar Hospitality Group Launch The Address Hotels + Resorts
brand at ATM
·
Emirates
first airline to offer onboard mobile telephone services.
·
Atlantis
welcomes its first guests on September 24, 2008. It is the first resort to be
built on the man-made island Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.
·
flydubai
officially launched operations in March by the Government of Dubai, forming the
city's first low-cost airline.
·
Dubai
Mall opens on 4 November, 2008 with around 635 retailers, marking the world's
largest-ever mall opening in retail history.
·
AirBedAndBreakfast
(later changed to Airbnb) bought short-term travel rentals into a web market.
2009
·
Dubai
Metro starts its operations on 09-09-2009
·
Yas
Island in Abu Dhabi opens, which hosts the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2010
·
The
inaugural United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and ATM industry
forum takes place.
·
Dubai
Airports opens the first phase of Dubai World Central (DWC) for cargo
operations on June 27.
·
The
Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, opens in Dubai
·
Ferrari
World opens on 4 November, 2010. It is the largest indoor amusement park in the
world.
2013
·
ATM celebrates 20 years.
·
Emirates
Airline partner with Qantas Air
·
Dubai
wins EXPO 2020, attracting 25 million tourists (70% being international
travellers).
2014
·
ATM launches annual theme of Luxury Travel
·
Dubai
International overtakes London Heathrow airport as the world's busiest airport.
2016
·
Marriott
Hotel acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
·
Accor
Hotels completes acquisition of FRHI Hotels & Resorts
·
Dubai
International Airport ranked No.1 as "World's busiest airport" in the
world for international travel.
2017
·
Visitor numbers hit almost 39,000 an increase of over 32,000
since 1994
·
Saudi
Arabia announces plans to to issue first tourist visas in 2018.
2018
·
Now 25 years old, ATM welcomes over 2,500 exhibiting
companies, exhibition stand space over 26,000m2, more than 29,000 visitors and
900 international media.
·
First
time in the history: Saudi Arabia to issue tourist visas to unaccompanied
women.