Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME – Arabian Travel Market, says: "Arabian Travel Market 2022 will reiterate the importance of the travel industry as we continue to address the challenges of Covid-19 while also outlining how we drive the industry forward.
"The tourism industry has rebounded incredibly well. As a result, we have seen a clear uptick in participation, with floor space increasing by over 85% compared to the previous year and Middle East exhibitor space eclipsing 2019 levels. We now have the perfect opportunity to hear from industry professionals on the latest trends helping the industry recover and flourish in many instances."
Further underscoring the technology focus is the revamped and rebranded ATM Travel Tech event, previously called Travel Forward. A host of exciting sessions will take place, including the vision for the NEOM and its strategy for creating memorable experiences by Andrew McEvoy, managing director of tourism, NEOM. Elsewhere on the agenda, Zeina Dagher, CEO Emaar Entertainment, will look at the future of visitor attractions, traveller trends, and what’s next in distribution, attraction tech and the guest experience.
The inaugural ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition, which was launched earlier this year, will see 15 travel, tourism and hospitality start-ups pitch for US$500,000 of funding and potentially a further US$500,000 of investment as part of the hit TV show, Meet the Drapers.
Capitalising on the growth of regional tourism investment, the ITIC-ATM Middle East Summit – hosted jointly by ATM and the International Tourism Investment Conference (ITIC) – will spotlight access to project finance in the post-Covid era and include a high-profile ministerial session.
Building on the success of ATM’s hybrid approach during the global pandemic, this year’s in-person event will be followed by the third instalment of ATM Virtual, which will take place from Tuesday, 17 to Wednesday, 18 May 2022.
