06 Welcome


The future is now Continued from page 1


Russia and India emerging as key feeder markets. Commenting on the figures, HE


Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said: “Q1 2017 has set us off on a strong trajectory for the year and we are pleased to see our strategic investments and policy reforms yield- ing such a definitive impact. “As Dubai continues to evolve


and expand the breadth and depth of its tourism proposition, we expect to amplify the appeal of our city as the top consideration for not only first- time but also repeat business and leisure travellers. “The positive start to 2017 is an


encouraging endorsement of our over- all strategy, although we are prudently aware that travel is among the leading industries that is undergoing a global transformation and is in a state of complete disruption today. We must be true innovation leaders.” Pioneering industry initiatives


were announced during the show, with Dubai Tourism unveiling plans to open Dubai College of Tourism (DCT). The government-backed vocational insti- tution is set to train the emirate’s next generation of industry professionals. Dubai Tourism also announced the launch of Dubai Expert, an online educational game, created exclusively for travel agents, enabling them to promote the emirate as a destination to their customers around the world. Along with building their knowledge of Dubai, travel agents can also gain a Dubai Expert Certificate. A spirit of innovation and collabo-


ration was felt throughout the halls of Dubai World Trade Centre, as Arabian Travel Market welcomed more than


2,600 exhibitors and an expected 30,000 visitors. With the theme of experiential


travel, the show focused on how desti- nations can attract visitors with a range of unforgettable experiences. The consensus among exhibitors was that the key to delivering a well-rounded tourism proposition, that goes beyond building world-class attractions, is to include a robust network of partners with airlines, hotels, entertainment facilities and other stakeholders. “What you’re seeing is a variety


of offerings on the destination stands, and we’re seeing a lot of new start- ups in the technology sector, such as JetClass. It’s good to see those new technology-powered products coming through, showing that travel tourism is certainly keeping pace with consumer demand,” added Press. Key trends also came to the fore including the significant growth and ongoing potential of mid-scale hotels, the best use of technology within the industry, halal tourism and the rise of the cruise sector. A recent PwC report found that


while the GCC hotel market is pres- ently dominated by luxury estab- lishments, to accommodate future growth, there needs to be more vari- ety in the offering. “With the growing importance


of millennial travellers, global visitor trends have shifted dramatically. More and more travellers, even those who can afford luxury, are opting to stay in affordable hotels. The reason for this shift includes the rise of the affluent middle class, especially in Asia, which has opened up new opportunities for investors in the GCC hotel industry. “Additionally, with the region


STAY CONNECTED


Make the most of your ATM experience by connecting with us on


Twitter @ATMDubai, as well as on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube


You can find quick links to all our social media at


www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com


preparing for mega-events including Expo 2020 Dubai and FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, it is imperative that GCC countries widen their accommodation choices to include mid-market hotels,” the report states. UAE-based TIME Hotels is emerg- ing as a leader in the mid-market hospitality sector with a collection of hotels, serviced apartments and resi- dences. CEO Mohamed Awadalla has seen an exciting buzz generated at this year’s ATM. “I have been impressed by how


busy the exhibition is this year. Every- one always looks forward to seeing what comes out of ATM – there’s


always a lot of excitement generated,” explained Awadalla. “I am very happy with the direc- tion Dubai is taking as we see improve- ments in the mid-market sector. Other Middle Eastern countries now need to also do the same. A lot of people want to come to Dubai but they can’t afford it, or they don’t want to pay for four- and five-star hotels. The growth of the mid-market sector is a really positive development.” “I am sure that Dubai will reach its


target of 20 million visitors by 2020. Whatever they promise, they deliver,” Awadalla added. The Middle East, as a whole, is


poised for a further boom with the multi-billion dollar Muslim travel sector, which was the message at ATM’s first-ever Global Halal Tourism Summit, which took place on April 26. The sector is said to be worth US$233 billion by 2020, some 13 percent of total global travel expenditure. Faeez Fadhlillah, Co-Founder and CEO of Salam Standard and Tripfez got summit proceedings underway by revealing how the GDP impact of the world’s Muslim tourism sector exceeded US$138 billion in 2015, gener- ating 4.3 million jobs and contributing more than US$18 billion in tax revenue. “The Muslim travel sector has a significant impact on global econo- mies, creating jobs and boosting public finances. Middle East destinations are in a prime position to capitalise on this booming market,” said Fadhlillah. Industry leaders also agreed during the show that the time is right for the Middle East to capitalise on the billion-dollar cruise industry, which was highlighted at a special session on Tuesday. Aside from calls for new ports,


GCC visas for cruisers and stream- lined immigration processes to boost numbers, the session showcased the region’s hidden gems and how the industry can better work with global cruise lines and itinerary planners to identify the experiences that the next generation of cruisers want. Hamad Mohammed Bin Mejren,


Senior Vice President, Dubai Tour- ism, who heads up Cruise Arabia and Dubai Cruise Tourism (DCT) said that the alliance, which is now in its third year, helped put the Gulf on the global cruise tourism map, with destinations across the region now taking the cruise segment seriously. “What we now need to do


is educate the travel industry in each destination to drive home the economic value the cruise sector offers,” he said. “Each destination has its own


unique offering, but industry part- ners need to understand how they can benefit from cruise tourism and the business opportunities it brings.” As the 2017 edition of Arabian


Travel Market draws to a close, Simon Press has echoed the importance of understanding the impact of the expe- riential travel sector, he said: “Experi- ential travel is the show theme this year and that’s certainly been seen through some of the stand designs. It’s about understanding what the consumer wants and highlighting the differ- ent elements and how people want to immerse themselves in the local culture of a destination – rather than just plugging into a normal holiday, they want to experience what each destination has to offer.”


26


Contents 30 20


06 News 14 Best in show The ATM 2017 Best Stand Awards


20 The rise of halal travel Religious tourism in focus 22 Show in pics


This year’s exhibitor highlights 24 Seminar schedule 26 Making waves


The region’s lucrative cruise sector 28 Agents of change


The role of today’s travel agents 30 Destination profiles 34 Vox pops


The Arabian Travel Market show dailies are published on behalf of:


Gateway House 28 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1DN, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 8271 2158, Email: arabian.helpline@reedexpo.co.uk Web: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com


Arabian Travel Market is owned and protected by Elsevier Properties SA and used under licence. Reed Travel Exhibitions/Reed Exhibitions is a registered trade mark of Reed Elsevier Group PLC.


Published by:


npimedia PO Box 500573, Office 704, Executive Heights, Barsha Heights, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 4243640, Fax: +971 4 4327505 Email: enquiries@npimedia.com; Web: www.npimedia.com


©Copyright


This show daily is published under licence by Reed Exhibitions Limited. The copyright in the design and content of the show daily is owned by Reed Exhibitions Limited or its licensors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, by any means – electronic, photocopying or otherwise – without the prior permission of Reed Exhibitions Limited.


VISIT NPI AT STAND ME1440 All images from npimedia archive, Alamy/Phocal Images or supplied


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36