Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022 opened today in Dubai with the theme "The future of international travel and tourism", marking the start of the 29th edition of the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition.

 

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai World, officially inaugurated the exhibition.

 

Sheikh Ahmed was accompanied by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Vasyl Zhygalo, Portfolio Director, RX Global; Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, ATM; and a host of other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the show floor as the four-day event got underway.

 

Taking place till May 12, this year’s event is more than 85% larger than ATM 2021 in terms of floorspace, with growth in every single region. ATM 2022 includes 1,500 exhibitors, representatives from 158 global destinations, and an anticipated 20,000 attendees. The live show will be followed by ATM Virtual, which will run from May 17 to May 18.

 

Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in collaboration with DET, ATM 2022’s theme – ‘The future of international travel and tourism’ – will be reflected throughout the show. The ATM Global Stage and ATM Travel Tech Stage will host 40 conference sessions comprising 150 speakers.

 

New this year is the ATM Draper-Aladdin Start-up Competition, which has generated a huge buzz since its launch. The initiative will see up to 15 travel, tourism, and hospitality innovators pitch for up to $500,000 of funding – not to mention the opportunity to compete for an additional $500,000 of investment as part of the hit TV show, Meet the Drapers.

 

In addition, ATM 2022 will include in-depth buyer forums dedicated to India and Saudi Arabia; live interviews with aviation and hospitality experts; debates on the future of sports, city and responsible tourism; the ITIC-ATM Middle East Summit on tourism investment; digital influencer networking; best stand awards; and the return of ILTM Arabia, with its focus on the lucrative luxury travel market.

 

For the first time, the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) will take place live in Dubai after joining remotely for ATM 2021.

 

ATM 2022 is part of Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service