4 days of discussions and shows highlighting rising journey tendencies and ambitions on the Arabian Journey Market (ATM) got here to an in depth yesterday.
Going down on the Dubai World Commerce Centre, the Center East’s main journey and hospitality commerce present is predicted to have welcomed a record-breaking variety of guests, up from 46,000 final yr.
Tourism boards, airways, motels and tech suppliers from throughout the globe, in addition to ministers, executives and entrepreneurs, have been in attendance.
Right here’s what the consultants say is in retailer for the way forward for worldwide journey.
Connectivity is on the core of the journey trade
The thirty second version of ATM noticed a various roster of panel talks, networking occasions and exhibitions spanning sectors from aviation and lodging to wellness, hospitality and MICE (conferences, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).
This yr’s theme, “International Journey: Creating Tomorrow’s Tourism By way of Enhanced Connectivity,” set the tone for a programme centered on how the trade can adapt to altering expectations.
Jonathan Hesty, portfolio director for RX International, organiser of ATM, mentioned connectivity is “vastly crucial to all of us, not simply organisations and locations, however us as travellers as nicely.”
“A linked trade permits individuals to maneuver all over the world, to expertise new locations they could by no means have been to earlier than, to study new cultures,” he added.
“From an trade standpoint, it offers an opportunity for individuals to connect with new prospects, to assist new individuals expertise the delights that we have now on present right here at ATM this week.”
Sustainability is a cornerstone of the journey sector
One overarching subject of the week was sustainability, which Hesty described because the “cornerstone of our content material programme”.
Periods coated myriad features of inexperienced journey, together with regenerative and accountable tourism, meals waste in hospitality, and the way to type a round economic system to try to minimise the carbon impression of the trade.
“We’re delighted to offer a platform for the trade to speak about it, to share and to work out methods to scale back the carbon impacts of the trade,” mentioned Hesty.
A spokesperson for Dubai Holding Leisure, which operates a few of Dubai’s most iconic sights and household locations, described sustainability as “a vital pillar of our organisation”.
“Now we have property the place we provide experiences to households, and we imagine that it is extremely necessary to show new generations about sustainability,” the spokesperson mentioned.
“Now we have very particular programmes about vitality financial savings and waste administration. Now we have an incredible attraction referred to as Inexperienced Planet that’s all about nature and sustainability.”
For Cristian Stanicic, basic director of the Croatian Nationwide Vacationer Board, sustainable tourism can also be about customer numbers.
“We wish to be centered extra on much less common tourism locations, smaller tourism locations,” he mentioned.
“And we wish to prolong our tourism season to pre- and after-season, not solely in the summertime season, as a result of we wish to keep away from some situations that we’ve seen in different Mediterranean international locations with overtourism.”
Know-how is remodeling the journey expertise
Know-how was highlighted as a key solution to redefine the customer expertise.
Mohamed Abdallah Al-Zaabi, CEO of lodge advertising and marketing firm Mirai, mentioned AI is on the core of their improvement technique for his or her locations Yas Island and Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.
“One among our primary objectives on Yas Island and Saadiyat is to create a singular and immersive expertise for our prospects,” he mentioned.
“We use huge information and machine studying to raised perceive buyer behaviour, higher perceive our current information, seize information, and based mostly on that, we customise and tailor completely different and new experiences.”
Equally, Dubai Holding Leisure mentioned know-how is essential to studying about prospects’ pursuits.
The group makes use of AI to know what sort of new experiences households are on the lookout for and, due to this fact, the place to speculate.
Journey that’s accessible to everybody
Discussions additionally centred round accessibility inside the journey sector. Asam Kalbham, CEO of Dubai Company for Tourism and Commerce Advertising and marketing, talked about how Dubai is guaranteeing inclusivity.
DXB Worldwide Airport has an open skies coverage, he defined, and works with airways that prioritise accessibility.
“I am so proud to say that we have now only in the near past been introduced as the primary metropolis within the Japanese Hemisphere that’s licensed autism vacation spot,” he added.
“And Emirates Airways has bought the certification as nicely, in addition to Dubai Airport, DXP Worldwide, Expo Metropolis and different amenities.”
Kalbham emphasised that, “accessibility for us means each single particular person from each a part of the world and all walks of life ought to have the ability to take pleasure in Dubai.”