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ATM 2021 Highlights
In the spotlight
Arabian Travel Market 2021 highlights the future of the travel industry, championing new and innovative ways to enable a strong comeback for the sector in response to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic Arabian Travel Market (ATM) opens its doors today as the first in-person edition of the annual event to take place since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Also, for the first time in the 28-year history of the show, ATM 2021 is running as a hybrid event, with the live exhibition welcoming visitors to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) over the next four days and ATM Virtual taking place next week. In the aftermath of the pandemic, this year’s edition of the show is especially significant in order to enable a strong comeback for the industry. The carefully curated programme aligns with the theme of ‘A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism’ chosen for this year. Therefore, the raft of talks, seminars, launches and networking events will address everything from the visitor experience in-destination in a post-pandemic world to the advancement of travel technology and the recovery of aviation. FINGER ON THE PULSE Supporting this year’s theme, the conference programme addresses the latest developments in the global tourism industry, touching upon COVID-19 recovery, digital marketing, hospitality, aviation, responsible tourism, cultural tourism and business travel.
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On Monday, May 17, ATM 2021 hosts the inaugural ATM Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit, which brings together key stakeholders that are fast-tracking the kingdom’s socioeconomic transformation through groundbreaking tourism initiatives. On the agenda for discussion are the challenges and opportunities as the kingdom meets its ambitions, in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030, and evolves into a unique global destination for travellers around the world, which will continue during the virtual event.
This year’s edition of ATM is especially significant in order to enable a strong comeback for the industry
ATM 2021 also sees the return of the ATM Hotel Industry Summit, taking place for the second time on Tuesday, May 18. The conference will see industry leaders discussing local and global trends shaping the region’s hospitality sector in a post-pandemic world. A WEEK IN TRAVEL Arabian Travel Week made its debut during the 2019 edition of ATM and returns this year, starting today, May 16 and running until May 26, 2021. The four-day ATM 2021 once again plays an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online. Other events that are part of Arabian Travel Week include the travel technology exhibition Travel Forward, ARIVAL Dubai for the tours and attractions sector, GBTA’s halfday virtual business travel conference, ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit, speed networking events for digital influencers and regionally focused buyer groups, including China, and, of course, ATM Virtual, the online edition of the ATM exhibition. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, ATM, said: “This festival of events is dedicated to travel professionals from all over the world to collaborate and shape the recovery of the Middle East travel industry through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events. “Essentially, Arabian Travel Week will provide a pivotal platform for the region’s travel and tourism industry, whether participating in-person at the event or virtually. Over the course of 10 days, it will put a spotlight on Dubai, the UAE, GCC and, of course, the wider MENA region’s tourism sector.” TIME FOR TECH Travel has never been as inspiring and complex as it is today. With the pent-up desire to explore the world and reach new places – as safely and securely as possible – the reliance on technology has increased drastically. This means that there is ample potential
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5/12/21 12:13 AM
