• The latest DET figures show India overnight visitors up by 44% between January and August 2023 compared to the same period last year; China up 309%
  • ATM will take place from 6-9 May, 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the show theme of Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Al Rais Travel, the official DMC partner of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s leading event for inbound and outbound travel and tourism professionals, has highlighted the latest trends supporting the growth of the tourism industry in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC, as visitor numbers from key source markets including the UK and China continue to rise.

According to the insights from Al Rais, Dubai’s reputation as a safe and secure destination and trusted brand has resulted in an uptick from key source markets.

“Brand Dubai is trusted by people around the world. The country has rebounded incredibly well since COVID-19, with the latest figures for the first half of 2023 the best on record. As a travel company, our figures are very much representative of this. In terms of inbound markets, we’ve seen the top five markets shuffle to some extent, with Saudi dropping slightly and increases in British tourists.

“The return of the Chinese market, which, despite only coming back in Q1 of this year, has already moved into a top five position,” said Mohamed Al Rais, Deputy Managing Director- at Al Rais Travel.

These trends are certainly borne out by the latest figures released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and no doubt experienced by ATM’s other partners, such as Emirates and IHG Hotels & Resorts.

According to the latest statistics from DET, Dubai’s top source markets include India, which has seen a 44% increase between January and August 2023 compared to the same period last year; Saudia Arabia, which has seen a nominal 5% decrease during the same period; the UK, up 14%; and the Chinese market, which according to the data has witnessed a 309% jump in the first eight months of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022.

The tourism expert also believes Saudi Arabia and UAE, rather than competing, complement one another's tourism offerings and can encourage visits to both, similar to central Europe, where visitors tour several countries during one trip, benefiting the tourism industry across several borders.

This view is supported by the recent news from Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy, who announced that a single common GCC tourist visa will be introduced by 2025, allowing for seamless travel between the Gulf States, simplifying travel and boosting tourism in the region.

“The opportunity this affords not only the UAE and Saudi, but the whole of the GCC, is visitors who qualify will be able to travel to any country in the GCC and tour with ease, benefiting tourism in all countries,” added Al Rais.

In line with the ATM theme, Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship, and the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which has been developed to support the development of the country’s tourism industry, Al Rais Travel is working with a range of airlines yet to establish links to the UAE and providing support to help set them up.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “There are many examples of exhibitors seamlessly aligning with our show's overarching theme, which is further underscored by the impactful contributions regional tourism entities have in pioneering innovative approaches to propel the industry into the future.

“As a platform, our mission is to amplify the voices of industry stakeholders, shedding light on their diverse initiatives spanning environmental sustainability, cutting-edge technology, accommodation solutions, and transportation innovations.”

The 31st edition of ATM will once again host policymakers, industry leaders and travel professionals from across the Middle East and beyond, encouraging them to forge new relationships, exchange knowledge and identify innovations that can reshape the future of global travel and tourism. From startups to established brands, the upcoming show will highlight how innovators enhance customer experiences, drive efficiencies, and accelerate progress towards a net-zero future for the industry.

Building on ATM 2023’s ‘Working Towards Net Zero’ theme, environmentally responsible travel will represent a key focus during the show’s upcoming edition. Informed by the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which will take place in Dubai later this year, ATM 2024 will explore how innovation can be leveraged to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by building a greener travel and tourism sector for future generations.

More than 40,000 travel trade professionals, including 30,000 visitors, attended the 30th edition of ATM in May 2023, setting a new show record. The exhibition attracted more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 155 countries, providing a global platform for unveiling ATM’s net-zero pledge.

The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/.

To register your interest in attending ATM 2024 or to submit a stand enquiry, visit https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb/enquire.html.

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For more information, log on to wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now in its 31st year, is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2023 welcomed over 40,000 attendees and hosted over 30,000 visitors, including more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 150 countries, across ten halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai

Next in-person event: 6 to 9 May 2024, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.

https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html

Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events from 6 to 12 May, within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2024. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Influencers’ events, GBTA Business Travel Forums, as well as ATM Travel Tech. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, as well as a series of country forums.

https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html     

About RX (Reed Exhibitions)

RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at approximately 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com

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RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 35,000 people, over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.

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