Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor

The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) entered its second day on Tuesday. Exhibitors are upbeat about this year's show, as the event features around 2,000 local and foreign exhibitors. A cross-section of leading participants and exhibitors share their candid views with Gulf Today.

The show is the largest travel and tourism event in the Middle East, bringing together leading travel industry professionals from around the world to showcase their latest products and services.

Ayman Ashor, General Manager, Al Bandar Rotana and Arjaan by Rotana, said: "We are excited for exhibiting  in the Arabian Travel Market this year. This event provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our hotel to a global audience and to demonstrate the outstanding level of service and hospitality that our guests have come to expect from us.”

He noted that the mega event is a launchpad for the travel and tourism sector and local and global investors, adding that Al Bandar Rotana is also interested in tapping new markets due to huge occupancy growth.

Ashor echoed that he met key partners during the event and shared valuable information and a lot of new packages and competitive rates with them in order to grab the attention of the clients and groups to visit the city and his property.

“Al Bandar Rotana has earned a reputation as one of Dubai’s premier business hotels, offering guests an unparalleled level of comfort and convenience. The hotel’s spacious guest rooms feature modern amenities, stunning waterfront views, and luxurious bedding, ensuring that guests enjoy a restful and rejuvenating stay.” Ashor concluded.

Arsanious Saad, Director of Sales and Marketing, Grand Mercure Hotel and Residences Dubai said, “We are very excited to be part of ATM’s momentous 30th edition. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase and introduce our wide-ranging leisure and business facilities to new and existing partners, suppliers and industry peers.”

Elaborating on the business mix, Arsanious stated, “This season Grand Mercure Hotel and Residences Dubai has witnessed significant change in the business mix with the recent upgrade from 4 star to 5 star premium upscale product. It has started to attract a more corporate clientele with recent changes as well a huge interest from major worldwide airlines for their crew staff accommodation along with their direct clients.”

He further added, “In terms of leisure travellers, the complex currently enjoys a healthy market mix from key source markets such as the CIS, Russia, GCC, Germany and Korea ) and many more, with its unique location being attached to the metro line along with the wide leisure facilities."

Pakistan: A 25-member delegation from Pakistan is currently participating in the Arabian Travel Market, which kicked off on Monday at the World Trade Centre Dubai, with the aim of showcasing the country’s rich tourism potential.

The Pakistan Pavilion at the ATM was inaugurated by Awn Chaudhry, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Tourism and Sports. During his visit to Dubai, he held a meeting with Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), as per a press release issued by the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai.

During the meeting, Chaudhry lauded Dubai’s tourism vision, which has made the country a top tourist destination in just a few years. Speaking about Pakistan’s tourism, he highlighted the country’s beautiful natural landscape, ranging from deserts to seas to mountains, and a variety of weather all year round. He further emphasised the immense investment potential in Pakistan’s tourism and hospitality sector.

Awn Chaudhry extended an invitation to Al Marri to participate in the International Tourism Conference to be held in Pakistan later this year. The conference aims to showcase Pakistan’s tourism potential and attract foreign tourists and investors to the sector.


Models perform during the ATM in Dubai on Tuesday.

Qatar: Qatar Tourism’s 603 sqm, double-decker pavilion has featured the destination’s one-of-a-kind attractions and its unique blend of modernity and cultural authenticity. Qatar’s participation at ATM demonstrates the country’s ongoing commitment to position itself as a leading global destination for travel and leisure.

Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer at Qatar Tourism, said: “We are pleased to take part in the Arabian Travel Market and showcase Qatar’s incredible offering as a world-class tourism destination. In particular, this leading travel and tourism exhibition allows us to engage directly with core markets that we have identified as part of our 2030 strategy. We invite industry professionals to step into our exceptional pavilion and immersive themselves in the authentic culture and hospitality that Qatar is famed for. We look forward to highlighting the latest leisure developments taking place in Qatar and strengthening our partnerships with key travel and tourism stakeholders throughout the event.”

Qatar Tourism has launched the Hayya Platform in a new form, inviting tourists who currently need a visa to Qatar to enjoy the country’s famously warm Arabian hospitality and diverse touristic offerings.

Commenting on the latest initiative, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “Qatar’s national tourism strategy seeks to welcome over six million visitors a year by 2030. Already, Qatar is considered the most open country in terms of visa facilitation in the Middle East and the 8th most open globally, with more than 95 nationalities granted visa on arrival. We are pleased that the latest developments will further cement Qatar’s position as a leading tourism destination and will provide the opportunity for even more travellers to experience the country’s truly unique touristic offering.”

Georgia: Georgia sees huge potential in the UAE tourism market as the country has become one of the top destinations for UAE since flydubai launched direct flights to Tbilisi. Because of the uniqueness of the country, direct flights (from 2 flights to 14-15 daily flights during summertime) and a visa-free regime we can see increased numbers of the visitors each year.

This was stated by Gvantsa Murtskhvaladze, Deputy General Manager, Voyager, adding that flydubai is also planning to launch direct flights from Dubai to Batumi

in June this year.

She noted that they are interested in tapping new tourist destinations in Georgia which are untapped due to huge tourist influx.

“Our company is a leading tour operator based in Georgia specialised in inbound and outbound travel directions,” she added.

She disclosed that  Voyager was the first company which entered GCC countries and promoted Destination – Georgia there.

“Our company is offering accommodation, transportation, excursions, dines, event management, team building activities, technical equipment, private and wedding events, corporate events, full catering, entertainment,” Gvantsa concluded.

Sustainable tourism: The global tourism industry represents 11 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily driven by the air travel industry – a topic that will come into focus at the upcoming edition of the Arabian Travel Market  taking place at the World Trade Centre , in which Dr. Miniya Chatterji, CEO Sustain Labs Paris, a flagbearer of sustainability across multiple industries, will speak on two panels about ways to reduce tourism’s carbon footprint, as part of the UAE’s observance of 2023 as the Year of Sustainability in advance of COP28.

The sustainable tourism market is projected to increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.54 per cent to US$335.93 billion in 2027, according to research by Technavio. From plane flights and cruises to souvenirs and lodging, various activities contribute to tourism’s carbon footprint. Most of this footprint is emitted by visitors from high-income countries, with US travellers at the top of the list. As the number of people who can afford to travel grows, so will tourism’s environmental footprint.

Dr Miniya Chatterji says, “Dubai faces an existential challenge of balancing its thriving tourism industry with its race to attract the best talent in the world to live here. They are both the lifelines of Dubai, and if not managed effectively, can be counterproductive.

“The attractions and experiences offered by Dubai make it an aspirational destination for tourists from all over the world. This is set to grow even further. By 2027 it is estimated that the travel and tourism industry in Dubai will grow further by 5 per cent and result in a market volume of US$1.56 billion as UAE brings more than 30 million tourists, supports 770,000 local jobs and accounts for 11.1 percent of the total employment annually."