Arabian Travel Market 2025 opens its doors, bringing together travel professionals from 166 countries

The 32nd edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) opens tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together more than 2,800 exhibitors and over 55,000 travel industry professionals from 166 countries. As a sign of the growing importance of ATM in the global travel landscape, international exhibitors account for 67% of the companies present at the event, while the Middle East represents 33% of exhibitors this year.  

With the theme "Global Travel: Developing the Tourism of the Future through Greater Connectivity," ATM 2025 explores how cross-border connectivity, across sectors and communities, will shape the future of tourism. The event will focus on how connectivity facilitates a more sustainable, inclusive, and globally integrated tourism industry, an idea that will be explored throughout the exhibition, from the enriching ATM Conference to dedicated networking sessions.  

Danielle Curtis, Middle East Exhibition Director at Arabian Travel Market, said: “ATM 2025 is on track to break records in both attendance and exhibitor participation. This week, we look forward to welcoming travel professionals from all sectors and verticals, including leisure, corporate events, luxury, and corporate travel.”  

To meet the growing interest in ATM, this year we have added two additional halls and will present the ATM Conference program on three dynamic content stages: the Global Stage, the Future Stage, and the Business Events Stage. I am particularly interested in IBTM@ATM, a dedicated business events zone, and ATM Travel Tech, which highlights the transformative role of technology in the future of the industry.  

Asia stands out as the fastest-growing region for ATM, with an impressive 20% year-over-year increase in exhibitor participation. This growth has been driven by factors such as improved regional connectivity and strengthened links with international markets. ATM will showcase a wide range of Asian destinations, including Japan, Macau, the Maldives, Mauritius, South Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, highlighting the region's growing influence on global tourism.  

As India's tourism industry achieves remarkable growth, the country's presence at ATM has increased by 30% this year, driven by a strong presence of exhibitors, including the regional tourism boards of Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and airlines such as Air India and Air India Express.  

International markets account for over 52% of visitor registrations, with visitors from the UAE and the GCC contributing significantly to the total, at 48%. The top five international markets registered for ATM 2025 are India, Egypt, the UK, Turkey, and the US, underscoring the event's strong appeal across key global markets.  

Philip M. Barnes, Rotana's CEO, said: "Once again, Rotana is delighted to be the official partner of record for ATM. As a local brand, Rotana sees ATM as an excellent opportunity to showcase the region and our strong industry partnerships."  

Reflecting the travel industry's complete convergence with technology and innovation, ATM Travel Tech is at its peak, with an increase of over 23% in the number of products showcased at the event. ATM Travel Tech, a rapidly growing segment running in parallel with ATM, offers insights into the innovative technologies shaping the travel and hospitality sector, hosts thought-provoking discussions on the Future Stage, and will be featured in both Hall 1 and Hall 3 of Za'abeel at this year's event.

On the opening day of ATM, Cassie Kozyrkov, CEO of Kozyr and a world-renowned speaker on AI and Google's first Chief Decision Scientist, will lead an insightful session on the Future Stage, titled "AI Adoption: From Buzzwords to Business Strategy." She will explore why organizations struggle with AI adoption, identify the biggest challenges in the field, and discuss the implications of AI for the future.

ATM Travel Tech will host the new Startup and Innovation Zone, showcasing the next generation of travel industry pioneers and offering an immersive virtual reality experience that promises to give visitors a new perspective on the industry's possibilities. For the fourth consecutive year, ATM will host the Startup Pitch Battle, highlighting the Middle East's most innovative minds.  

A highlight of ATM 2025 is the launch of IBTM@ATM, a dedicated zone connecting business event buyers with a wide range of exhibitors, including venues and hotels, convention bureaus, tourism boards, airlines, and more. At the heart of this new feature is the Business Events Stage, which will host a series of informational sessions throughout the show, exploring strategies to drive growth and opportunities in business events and corporate travel.  

More than a networking event, the renowned ATM Conference will offer the latest industry insights from more than 200 experts across three content stages: the Global Stage, the Future Stage, and the Trade Events Stage.

Tomorrow's highlights on the Business Events Stage include a formal welcome from Senthil Gopinath, CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). This will be followed by a session on how global events and festivals drive socioeconomic growth, with speakers from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, and the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO).  

Also on the business events stage, the Saudi China Tourism Forum (MICE) will feature panelists from Chinese outbound travel companies and MENA DMCs, who will discuss the latest trends in Chinese outbound travel and the growing interest of Chinese visitors in MENA and beyond, both for business and leisure.

Meanwhile, experts from Booking.com, dnata Travel Group, and Airbnb will gather on the Future Stage to outline the microtrends redefining travel. On the Global Stage, senior representatives from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Rotana Hotels, Sabre Hospitality, and RAK Properties will explain how the region's leading hoteliers are transforming their brands to deliver meaningful and immersive experiences.

Held in conjunction with the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024's strategic partners are the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.  

Source: ATM Dubai.