ATM 2021: Delegates prepare for in-person return
A total of 62 countries will be represented on the exhibition floor this year at Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
The event is scheduled to take place, in-person, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on from Sunday, May 16th.
The largest travel and tourism showcase in the region has attracted key exhibitors from inbound and outbound markets such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UK, China, Germany, Russia, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand and the US.
“This is an impressive response from travel and tourism organisations across all travel sectors, given the various travel restrictions in place around the world, and provides a major boost for the travel industry in the Middle East,” commented Danielle Curtis, exhibition director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market.
Many destinations participating in ATM this year, will be hoping to attract GCC visitors in the second half of this year.
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Countries such as the Maldives for example, will have a significant presence at ATM, as well as perennial favourites such as Malaysia and Thailand, Germany, Greece, Italy and Switzerland.
“The Maldives has done exceptionally well in 2021 so far, welcoming over 200,000 visitors in the first two months of the year.
“It is one of the top destinations for UAE travellers and to cope with the increased demand, in March Emirates announced it was increasing its services over the Easter holidays, offering customers 28 weekly flights to Male, up from the scheduled 24 weekly flights,” added Curtis.
ATM 2021 is spread across nine halls.
Consistent with the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time.
Staying with the international flavour, overall, ATM 2021 features 67 conference sessions with over 145 local, regional and international speakers.
Onsite, there is a Global Stage which will include a hotel industry summit, dedicated buyer forums for Saudi Arabia and China, an International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC), as well as an aviation panel, and a special session on Gulf-Israeli ties.