Qatar Tourism Authority and its partners will return to the Arabian Travel Market with the largest delegation to represent the country at the renowned travel industry event. The delegation comprises of 38 hotels, tour operators and other industry service providers; a 26 per cent increase in Qatar’s participants compared to last year.

A Wellness Symposium, which will throw the spotlight on the $8.3 billion industry in the Middle East/North Africa, will be launched at Arabian Travel Market this year.

Visitors to the MENA region will total 195 million by 2030, growing at a rate higher than the world average, according to figures by the World Tourism Organisation. The rapid development of the sector will form part of the discussion at the UNWTO & ATM ministerial forum at the Arabian Travel Market this year.

Innovations in travel technology will continue to transform the tourism industry, with cloud passports, personalised travel, virtual reality and apps predicted to re-shape consumer habits and marketing strategies over the short to mid-term, according to a report by Colliers International. In its Tourism & Technology Trends report, produced ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2017, Colliers International named five trends driving the travel industry.

Arabian Travel Market 2016 posted a seven per cent year-on-year rise in visitor numbers with more than 28,000 trade visitors attending the show. The event took place from at Dubai World Trade Centre in late April, a week earlier than the usual May start date.

Breaking Travel News here talks Filip Boyen, newly-appointed chief executive at Small Luxury Hotels of the World at Arabian Travel Market 2016. On the agenda is a drive at the group to refine the portfolio of properties offered by the brand, its new ownership and the growing importance of the Middle East as a source market.