By The 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) concluded today, drawing more than 46,000 industry professionals from over 160 countries, including 33,500 visitors. This year’s event, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 6th to 9th, was the largest to date, featuring four days of impactful industry discussions and unrivaled networking opportunities across the MICE, leisure, luxury, and corporate travel sectors. The final day focused on nurturing the next generation of travel and tourism talent with sessions like “Educating Young Entrepreneurs: Building a Career in Travel” and “Network with Future Leaders.”
Record-Breaking Growth
ATM 2024 saw a 15% year-on-year growth, setting a new attendance record and showcasing the strength, resilience, and momentum of the global travel and tourism sector. Over 2,600 exhibitors gathered at DWTC to explore industry growth drivers and future opportunities, aligning with the event’s theme, “Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship.”
Inauguration and Highlights
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, inaugurated ATM 2024. This year’s edition featured 2,300 exhibitors from 165 countries, with approximately 41,000 visitors attending. Having launched in 1994 with 300 exhibitors and 7,000 trade visitors, ATM has now established itself as a globally renowned event integrating all travel sectors.
During the opening, Sheikh Ahmed emphasized the massive interest generated among attendees, reaffirming Dubai’s status as a major tourism and travel destination. He highlighted Dubai’s role in shaping the industry’s future by bringing together leaders from allied sectors worldwide. Accompanied by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; Hilal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; Danielle Curtis, Director of Arabian Travel Market in the Middle East; and other top officials, Sheikh Ahmed toured various pavilions.
Conference Agenda and Themes
ATM 2024’s four-day conference agenda featured 200 speakers across more than 50 sessions on two main stages: the Global Stage and the new Future Stage. The Global Stage hosted daily summits on entrepreneurship, developing markets, sustainability, and luxury. The Future Stage focused on innovation-related topics such as AI, NextGen destinations, travel technology, and future trend forecasts.
Highlights of the opening day included the Global Stage Welcome: The Gateway to Global Insights keynote speech by Issam Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and the Ministerial Debate on streamlining tourism within the GCC. The Market Insights Summit marked four days of focused deliberations on entrepreneurship, luxury, and sustainability.
Focus on Travel Technology and Entrepreneurship
On Day Two, the Future Stage discussed impactful travel technology trends at the “Beyond the Hype: Demystifying 2024 Travel Tech Trends” session. Meanwhile, the Global Stage featured aviation experts from IATA, Riyadh Air, AviationXLab, and Cirium, exploring how technology is disrupting aviation. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, led a session on navigating the future of air travel.
The Travel Tech exhibition continued until May 7, showcasing innovative technologies driving the travel and hospitality sector. The Entrepreneurship Summit on May 7 explored nurturing travel and tourism entrepreneurship to drive economic growth and examined how global disruptions act as catalysts for innovation.
Arabian Travel Week
ATM 2024 was part of Arabian Travel Week, a ten-day festival of travel and tourism events in Dubai. Other events included the ATM Start-up Competition, ATM Travel Tech, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and Buyer Networking.
Strategic Partners
The event, held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, had strategic partners including Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner, and Al Rais Travel as the Official DMC Partner.
