THE fact that leisure and business tourism is flourishing in many countries throughout the Middle East – despite the prospect of a European recession and regional political unrest –bodes well for a positive start to this year’s Arabian Travel Market industry showcase.
And our line-up of events across the week has been designed to reflect the wave of optimism surging across the region as the first signs of post Arab Spring democracy begin to emerge.
For the first time in the 19-year history of the show, Tourism Ministers from across the Middle East will come together on April 30, to kick off the week with a special session that will focus on driving the region’s tourism agenda.
Our decision to invite key government representatives was also spurred by the points raised at the UNWTO/ATM session at last year’s World Travel Market; and we are confident that this exciting interactive session will generate invaluable feedback with increased co-operation and the expansion of tourism products highlighted as key drivers for future sector growth.
We are also following through on our commitment to keep the industry up to speed with innovation, through our new technology theatre seminar series. This is undoubtedly a game changer for the global tourism industry, and the critical decision facing the region’s travel community – how to embrace and implement next generation technologies - is something that we have earmarked as a hot topic.
I’m personally looking forward to sitting in on several sessions as we give the floor to a host of leading digital experts specialising in the travel sector, to lead a number of interactive sessions focusing on the latest technological advances and trends in online consumer behaviour. To support this, we’ve also enlisted a panel of industry analysts who will share invaluable insight into the most talked about digital trends.
If technology isn’t your thing, the three-day programme also includes our popular seminar series, which addresses top of the agenda issues and trends and market opportunities from developments in the aviation sector to the rise of philanthropic travel, supported by specialised workshops and dedicated industry days.
And, as always, we are delighted to welcome some of the region’s most influential business leaders as speakers, including Akbar Al Baker, CEO Qatar Airways; Rudi Jagersbacher, president, Hilton Worldwide Middle East and Africa; Airlines, Hamad Mohammed Bin Mejren, executive director Business Tourism, DTCM along with other captains of industry.
While the spectacular growth of the regional airline sector is also a major factor in the ongoing rise to prominence of the Middle East as a hub for international travel, we can’t ignore the fact that the continued growth of cruise tourism right across the region adds another dimension to the connectivity equation; and this will once more be highlighted at our dedicated Cruise Pavilion.
Although the entire Reed Travel Exhibitions team are running around all week catching up with old faces and meeting new ones, we will be at the announcement, on Thursday May 3, to find out who has been hired by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Middle East as the winner of the 2012 ‘ATM Apprentice’ competition. Last year’s debut programme was a great success, and due to the amount of enquiries we received we decided to run the initiative for a second year. This scheme is a fresh approach to recruitment in the travel industry and an exciting and increasingly relevant addition to Careers Day, which wraps up the week.
Other regular features include the New Frontiers Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity and, of course the show floor will be open for four days of business as over 2,200 exhibitors and a projected 16,500 visitors gather to discuss, debate, negotiate and drive the industry forward into 2013.
ATM Diaries
By Mark Walsh