DUBAI: Dubai will be hosting the first in-person travel & tourism event in the world since the onset of the pandemic where 62 countries will be showcasing their attractions, such as KSA, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, South Korea, The Philippines, Malaysia, and Israel.
This was reconfirmed during a recently held Press –conference that Dubai will host Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, the largest in-person travel & tourism event in the world since the onset of the pandemic last year, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 May, as final preparations are being put in place.
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Dubai World Trade Centre, spread across nine halls can accommodate 11,000 people in the halls at any given time with the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations.
“The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be focused on the very latest ‘COVID’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds,” said Claude Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM& IBTM Portfolios.
ATM 2021 features 67 conference sessions with over 145 local, regional and international speakers overall. 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.
Other features this year will include Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts, providing industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism.
This year, for the first time in ATM history, 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 last year, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.
“It is imperative that we include a virtual element, many industry professionals from around the world, may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market.
Commenting on the ATM 2021 hybrid event, Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) commented: “As Dubai plays host to the Arabian Travel Market during this challenging period, it is testament to the city’s tireless efforts in leading the restart of global tourism, inspired and guided by our visionary leadership with the goal of positioning Dubai as one of the world’s safest destinations. It is noteworthy that through a proven framework for welcoming back visitors safely and ensuring they enjoy a well-rounded destination experience, as well as our ability to transform challenges into opportunities, Dubai has demonstrated a successful model for recovery of the international travel and tourism sector. With industry professionals from around the world set to converge in the city this month, we look forward to sharing Dubai’s positive outlook during ATM 2021, while emphasising how crucial it is to always keep the health and safety of travellers at the top of the agenda to ensure tourism growth.”
Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer – Emirates Airline, Mark Kirby, Head of Emaar Hospitality Group, Dr. Ali bin Zaid Abu Monassar, Chairman – The Vision Destination Management, and other dignitaries also spoke on the occasion.
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