Reed Travel Exhibitions will launch Arabian Travel Week – an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows – during the 2019 edition of Arabian Travel Market.

The event opens its doors on Sunday, April 28th for four days of business networking opportunities and insightful seminar sessions at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Arabian Travel Week comprises ATM 2019 and ILTM Arabia as well as Connect Middle East, India and Africa 2019 – a new route development forum launching this year and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper which take place on Saturday, April 27th. 

Claude Blanc, WTM portfolio director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “The success of both ATM and ILTM Arabia has provided us with the platform to not only introduce two new events for 2019 – but to create a travel week which encompasses the Middle East’s inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism and luxury travel as well as introducing an exclusive consumer event and providing a dedicated networking forum for the region’s top airline specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour operators.”

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the UAE’s economy is predicted to rise 4.1 per cent per annum to AED108.4 billion by 2028.

“Building on these figures, we are confident Arabian Travel Week will be a key driver attracting top international destinations to the attention of the Middle East’s travel trade and consumers and equally, marketing the Middle East to strategic overseas tour operators and travel professionals,” Blanc said

Now in its 26th year, ATM will welcome over 2,500 exhibiting companies and an expected 40,000 industry professionals, with over 150 countries represented, 65 national pavilions, and more than 100 new exhibitors set to make their ATM debut.

Identifying the top tourism trends showing the greatest growth potential is one of the most valuable insights Arabian Travel Market has to offer, and this year’s event will be no different as it adopts cutting-edge technology and innovation as its official show theme.

Running throughout the event, professionals from across the industry spectrum will discuss the ongoing unprecedented digital disruption, and the emergence of innovative technologies that will fundamentally alter the way in which the hospitality industry operates in the region.

Also new to ATM 2019 will be the Arabia China Tourism Forum which will take place on the Global Stage on Sunday, April 28th.

With China set to account for a quarter of international tourism by 2030, an expert panel will discuss how destinations around the world can capitalise on this growth.

The forum will also include a 30-minute networking session with over 80 Chinese buyers.

Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing, said: “Our presence at Arabian Travel Market forms a core part of our efforts to raise awareness of Dubai as a diverse travel destination to global audiences, and we are pleased to extend our support once again to the 26th edition of this influential event.

“We remain focused on strengthening collaborations with our network of industry partners, in turn underlining the enormous diversity that the emirate offers global travellers.

“Keeping in mind this year’s theme of innovation and technology, Dubai as a destination has already embraced a ‘digital, mobile and social first’ agenda that places future readiness at its core while promoting the adoption of disruptive technology.

“As a global hub of innovation, we will continue to support public-private sector partnerships to evolve our product offering and the way we engage with today’s digitally-savvy consumers.

“Keeping ahead of the global competition, we are anchored by an unwavering vision of establishing Dubai as the number one most-visited and innovative city in the world.”