2 minute read
DESTINATIONS / INTERNATIONAL
REDISCOVER THE USA
a new three-part webinar series in India that will assist travel agents in updating their knowledge of U.S. destinations and experiences, showcasing family holiday ideas
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Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has announced that the theme of the show will be ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be thrown onto the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds. It will also look at the emerging trends and how innovation can drive the industry forward. Major destinations such as Dubai and Cairo are leading the way with estimated full year 2021 occupancy levels of 68% and 65% respectively and closely followed by Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Muscat and Amman, with average occupancies of 58%, 56%, 51%, 48%, and 45% respectively. Overall, average yearon-year growth of the 20 destinations researched was 47%.
Prior to the pandemic, the direct contribution of travel and tour-
ism to the Middle East’s GDP was predicted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), to reach US $133.6 billion by 2028. So, given subdued oil prices and a general economic slowdown due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is clear that the regional economy will be relying on travel and tourism to recover quickly, once a vaccine has been fully developed and rolled out. ATM 2021 will also play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week and for the first time, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before. ATM Virtual, which made its debut earlier this year after ATM 2020 was postponed, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries. “It is imperative that we include a virtual element to Arabian Travel Week because many industry professionals from around the world, cannot attend the live event in person every year. It would also be naïve of us to imagine that governments throughout the world will relax their travel restrictions, to the same degree, at the same time and of course reopening airports and flight routes will also vary by country,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market.
Ms. Jackie Ennis, Vice President, Global Markets for Brand USA
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