ATM opens today with aviation on the agenda

HH 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 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 this morning

“This year more than any other, we, along with our partners and sponsors, have worked together closely, to enable an inspirational in-person event, that will set the tone for the Middle East travel and tourism industry for the rest of this year,” said Danielle Curtis, exhibition firector ME, Arabian Travel Market.
“We will be looking to capitalise on the latest trends and opportunities, as well as meeting challenges head-on with innovative solutions – with governments, trade associations, industry professionals and influencers, all working in unison,” she added.

Aviation is high on the agenda with Phil Blizzard hosting a mainstage session on the importance of aviation to the whole travel industry revival and includes speakers George Michalopoulos, chief commercial officer, Wizz Air; Hussein Dabbas, general manager Middle East & Africa for Embraer and former RAK Air CEO and now president of new start-up The Jetsets, John Brayford.
The session is at 12:30 tomorrow (Monday).
Under the theme of ‘A new dawn for travel & tourism’, the 28th edition of the four-day show which ends on Wednesday has 62 countries being represented on the exhibition floor, such as the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, underscoring the strength of the ATM brand and its international reach.
Away from the exhibition floor, a total of 67 conference sessions will take place featuring 145 local, regional and international speakers. Onsite, there is a Global Stage which will include a hotel industry summit, dedicated buyer forums for Saudi Arabia and China, an International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) as well as an aviation panel session.
Other features include Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts, providing industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism.
ATM 2021 will once again play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day long festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online. In addition to the in-person Arabian Travel Market, other events that are part of Arabian Travel Week include Travel technology exhibition Travel Forward; ARIVAL Dubai for the tours and attractions sector; GBTA’s half day virtual business travel conference; ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit and regionally focused buyer groups including China.
Commenting on ATM Virtual, Curtis remarked: “This year, for the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week after the in-person event – that is one week later, starting Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th May.
“This will complement the in-person event and reach a much wider audience than ever before. ATM Virtual, which made its debut last year, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.
“Including a virtual element to our show is now essential, many industry professionals may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly this year with social and travel restrictions changing so rapidly around the globe,” she added.
The in-person event will follow all of the Dubai Government’s and DWTC’s health and safety guidelines and will set out to provide a touchless and seamless experience.
The team at DWTC are working hard to ensure that all events run safely, working closely with the ATM team, and have implemented a range of measures including an enhanced cleaning regime, improved air circulation, multiple hand sanitiser stations and of course, safe distancing procedures.
“The health and safety of our colleagues, partners and visitors remains a priority,” said Curtis.
Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of tourists at every stage and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to departure. It was also awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Over 11.1 million doses have already been administered in the UAE, which is also a major achievement.