Arabian Travel Market Dubai 2024

Arabian Travel Market Dubai 2024 is celebrating its 30th edition this year, bringing once again the travel community together at the Dubai World Trade Centre from the 1st to the 4th of May.

The Arabian Travel Market 2024 presents a prime opportunity for both local and international participants to explore emerging trends, growth prospects, and innovations.

Dubai will once again be the epicentre for tourism destinations from across the globe coming together to showcase their brands alongside prominent names in hospitality and accommodation, innovative travel technology providers, and airlines.

This year's edition will be a hub for over 3,000 tourism attractions, products, and destination offerings from esteemed leaders in the travel industry. Interactive pavilions throughout the venue will showcase a plethora of exciting and engaging options. The event will also feature a range of special activities such as live demonstrations, workshops, and seminars.

For the past 29 years, the Arabian Travel Market has facilitated connections between international products and destinations, travel trade visitors and buyers, serving as a catalyst for unlocking business potential within the Middle East for many tourism professionals.

The event serves as a great platform for networking and business, featuring appointments with national and international exhibitors including hotels, airlines, car rentals, tour operators, railways, and many more.

This Year’s Theme

This year’s edition will be held under the theme “Working Towards Net Zero”, with the aim to highlight the importance of sustainable travel and promote sustainability initiatives across the industry, such as energy-saving utilities and lighting or single-use plastics.

The premier global event for the travel industry in the Middle East is set to delve into the ever-evolving world of innovative sustainable travel trends, while also mapping out strategies for growth in key sectors. Organised by Reed Exhibitions, the event will be marked by the unveiling of its dedicated sustainability pledge, which is aimed not only at making Arabian Travel Market greener but also at accomplishing 30 long-term sustainability goals.

The event promotes responsible consumption and production across the entire value chain of events, with particular emphasis on reducing waste and eliminating non-recyclable materials. To achieve this objective, organisers are committed to collaborating with suppliers and exhibitors to ensure that sustainability is observed at all stages of the event. Additionally, they prioritise working with suppliers and partners who are conscious of their environmental impact and demonstrate a responsible approach to managing it.

Hotel and travel industries should embrace a deep-rooted commitment to reducing the carbon intensity of operations, as well as forging partnerships with venues, suppliers, exhibitors, and delegates to better understand and achieve emissions reduction across the industry.

Attendees will be given the opportunity to help map the industry's future trajectory and explore new trends and opportunities for growth, innovation, and effective recovery.

True sustainability and responsible tourism should not only enhance visitor experiences but also make popular destinations better places for people to visit or live in.

Already attracting industry leaders and stakeholders from various travel platforms, the trade fair is fostering a collaborative approach where all participants can learn from one another, exchange ideas, and identify best practices for promoting sustainable tourism across the world.

Event Highlights

The upcoming exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre has many highlights lined up, with over 80 tech companies represented at the event.

Technology leaders from around the world will come together to explore the future of a greener travel sector. A range of in-depth panel discussions will delve into the latest modern innovations, such as artificial intelligence, big data, and web3, which are currently reshaping multiple industries. The ATM Travel Tech Stage will also serve as a backdrop for a variety of panels, including “The Main Trends Impacting Travel in 2023 and Beyond”.

Other notable highlights include the exclusive Buyers' Club Lounge, reserved for senior travel industry decision-makers with direct purchasing responsibility. The Responsible Tourism initiative will be another key feature, dedicated to promoting eco-friendly practices and solutions in the travel and tourism sector.

Arabian Travel Market also serves as a platform for learning. The four-day event features insightful seminars and panel discussions led by industry experts, entrepreneurs, and peers from the travel industry. Topics of discussion will include investment and recruitment, travel technology including AI and big data, global and regional travel trends, and luxury travel, as well as the rise of cryptocurrency and the Metaverse.

Experts will also present the latest research, trends, and case studies to audiences. Among these, one particularly popular topic, – “Halal tourism” – will surely generate some buzz, as it is potentially a vast and uncharted sector.

Event Speakers

The engagement witnessed at this year's Arabian Travel Market reflects the increasing importance placed by tourism professionals and policymakers on sustainability, while also indicating a growing demand for both leisure and business travel across UAE and the Middle East.

A range of esteemed industry and government speakers are scheduled to attend this year’s edition of Arabian Travel Market, offering a diverse selection of perspectives on net-zero achievement within their respective tourism markets.

Government officials attending include UAE's Minister of Economy HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri and Bahrain's Minister of Tourism HE Fatima Al Sairafi.

Oman's Minister of Heritage and Tourism HE Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahrooqi will be joined by industry leaders such as Emirates' President Sir Tim Clark KBE, and Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, Hilton's President for the Middle East, Africa & Türkiye, among others.

History of Arabian Travel Market

Since its humble beginnings back in 1994 with 52 nations, 300 exhibitors, and 7,000 visitors, the Arabian Travel Market has grown into a powerhouse event, facilitating $2.5 billion in industry deals, and attracting thousands of exhibitors and visitors from around the world. Last year alone, the event welcomed over 40,000 visitors and hosted over 31,000 participants, including 2,600 exhibitors from 151 countries.

This year's edition is held in conjunction with key industry players such as Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, Emirates, IHG Hotels and Resorts, and Al Rais Travel.

Notably, the industry's total contribution to the Middle East's GDP is predicted to soar to $486.1 billion by 2028, pointing to the significance of the event as a platform for shaping the future of this crucial sector for the UAE.

Arabian Travel Market’s impressive growth and success are a testament to Dubai's unwavering commitment to continue its journey as a leading global travel and tourism destination.