Reed Travel Exhibitions has confirmed plans to host an in-person Arabian Travel Market in Dubai next spring.

The show, which went online for the first time earlier this year, will take place from Sunday, May 16th until Wednesday, May 19th at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Now in its 27th year and working in collaboration the Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the theme of the show next year will be ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’.

It will also look at the emerging trends and how innovation can drive the industry forward.

Supporting the theme, a recent Colliers report - MENA Hotel Forecasts - estimates that 2021 will be a year of recovery, based on the assumption that hotel performance across the region is already improving.

Major destinations such as Dubai and Cairo are leading the way with estimated full year 2021 occupancy levels of 68 per cent and 65 per cent, respectively.

The health of the travel and tourism industry is key to the region.

Prior to the pandemic, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the Middle East’s GDP was predicted by the World Travel & 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. 

Danielle Curtis, exhibition director, Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Last week, Pfizer released the first reading of its Phase-3 trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine, announcing that it was more than 90 per cent effective in preventing the coronavirus, based on interim data analysis.

“If approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer estimates it can roll out 50 million doses this year and up to 1.3 billion in 2021, enough to vaccinate almost 675 million people.

“So, we are confident that by May next year, we will be on the threshold of a new dawn for our industry.”

The show will strictly adhere to all stringent health and safety guidelines and will set out to provide a touchless and seamless experience.

The team at DWTC are working hard to ensure that all events run safely and have implemented a range of measures including an enhanced cleaning regime, improved air circulation, multiple hand sanitiser stations and temperature checks.