Tomorrow, the 31st edition of the Arabian Travel Market kicks off at the Dubai World Trade Centre, expected to attract over 41,000 visitors and feature 2,300 exhibitors from 165 countries. This year's event focuses on the theme "Empowering Innovation: Transforming the Travel Sector through Entrepreneurship," highlighting the crucial role of startups and entrepreneurs in shaping the future of the industry.
The four-day conference program will offer over 50 informational sessions with more than 200 prominent speakers addressing attendees across the global stage and the new future stage of the exhibition. The CEO of the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Issam Abdul Rahim Kazim, will deliver the welcome speech on the global stage: Gateway to Global Insights, outlining Dubai's tourism goals and plans for the coming years.
Later tomorrow, ministers from GCC countries and beyond will take the discussion platform to talk about key strategies for supporting and developing tourism in the region during the ministerial discussion: Streamlining Tourism within GCC Countries. The Arabian Travel Market will also host the Market Insights Summit on the global stage on the opening day, exploring the potential of China, India, and Latin America as emerging key players in global tourism.
The summit will feature a panel including: Basma Al Me'mar, Regional Director for the Middle East at the United Nations World Tourism Organization; Guy Hutchinson, President of Hilton in the Middle East and Africa; Julia Simpson, CEO and President of the World Travel and Tourism Council; and Jan Gerrit Kwechelring, Partner at Roland Berger.
The Future Stage will be officially launched tomorrow, spotlighting trends shaping the future of the hospitality sector in the Middle East, led by senior representatives from IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Banyan Tree Dubai, Mastercard, and Silkhaus.
Among other sessions scheduled for tomorrow on the Future Stage is "The New Era of Island Tourism," which explores how islands in the Middle East provide new opportunities for tourism, and a session titled: Global Economic Disruptions Impacting the Future of Travel.
