Organisers say that ATM 2024 will explore how innovators in the travel & tourism space are working to attract greater levels of funding to further increase the sector’s overall contribution to global GDP
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s leading event for inbound and outbound travel industry, has unveiled its next theme, ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship.’
In a press statement, the organisers say that the 31st edition will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 6 to 9, 2024. Building on ATM 2023’s theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero’, 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.
Over the last 15 years, the travel and tourism industry has secured only 1 pc of total funding for startups across all industries, according to an analysis from McKinsey. This is despite the fact that the sector accounted for more than 10 percent of global GDP in 2019.
In an effort to reverse the wave, organisers say that ATM 2024 will explore how innovators in the travel and tourism space are working to attract greater levels of funding to further increase the sector’s overall contribution to global GDP.
Danielle Curtis
“The Middle East’s travel and tourism sector has demonstrated impressive resilience and growth in recent years, but we must continue to innovate and adapt in order to achieve the industry’s long-term goals. Thanks to ATM 2024’s theme, ‘Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, we have a golden opportunity to showcase expert insights, cutting-edge technologies and commercial opportunities with the potential to completely reshape the sector,” says Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market.
The organisers say that ATM 2024 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 with the potential to reshape the future of global travel and tourism. From startups to established brands, the upcoming show will highlight how innovators are enhancing customer experiences, driving efficiencies and accelerating progress towards a NetZero future for the industry.
The statement adds that UAE aims to attract USD 150 billion in foreign investment by 2030, making it the perfect environment to harness entrepreneurism and innovative technologies. With this in focus, the nation plans to strengthen its position as an international hub for start-ups, a focus that looks set to benefit entrepreneurs operating in the region’s travel and tourism sector. By exploring the ways in which an entrepreneurial mindset can lead to positive change within the industry, ATM 2024 will enable attendees to identify strategies for growth across a range of key industry verticals.
“As a global leader in innovation, the UAE offers the perfect environment in which to explore these trends and identify new avenues for growth. Following the record-breaking levels of attendance witnessed during ATM 2023, my colleagues and I cannot wait to welcome the global travel community to Dubai once again next year,” Curtis adds.
The organisers say that ATM 2024 will be held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre and its strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner, Emirates as Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as Official Hotel Partner, and Al Rais Travel as Official DMC Partner.
