Ahmed bin Mohammed inaugurates the landmark 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market in Dubai

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, today officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, signalling the commencement of the 30th edition of the Middle East’s biggest travel and tourism exhibition.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed affirmed that Dubai, under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has transformed into a major investment hub and a launch pad for regional and global companies, enabling them to establish and promote various economic activities.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed emphasised Dubai’s determination to play a key role in advancing the global economy across various sectors, including in tourism, where decades of diligent effort have led to a robust infrastructure and world-class hospitality services. The private sector, a critical partner in Dubai’s development initiatives, has been instrumental in contributing to this success, HH said.

ATM 2023 is scheduled from 1-4 May at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). This year’s event has witnessed a 27% increase in exhibitor participation compared to ATM 2022. The landmark 30th edition of the show is expected to attract approximately 34,000 attendees and host over 2,000 exhibitors and representatives from more than 150 nations.

Aligned with its theme, ‘Working Towards Net Zero’, ATM 2023 is providing a platform for international tourism professionals to forge new connections, share knowledge and ideas, and showcase innovations that can accelerate the industry’s journey towards decarbonisation.

Global and regional participation

Sheikh Ahmed expressed his pleasure at welcoming global and regional companies to the region’s premier travel, tourism, and hospitality event. His Highness emphasised that the impressive increase in ATM participants and visitors reflects the world’s confidence in Dubai’s growing role in stimulating global tourism, starting from its leading position on the global tourism map. HH commended Dubai’s economy for its strong growth rates in various sectors, particularly tourism and travel, which is proof of its steady progress towards becoming one of the top three economic cities in the world, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. This agenda was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as a roadmap for Dubai’s sustainable development.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed toured the show floor and visited several pavilions of foreign and Arab countries, in addition to participating global companies, accompanied by HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, HE Abdulla Al Basti, the Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and HE Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai).

These included the Italian pavilion organised by the Italian Agency for Tourism, where six tourism companies discussed opportunities for cooperation with regional counterparts. His Highness also visited the Saudi pavilion, where several tourism companies, including the Public Investment Fund-owned Cruise Saudi, is participating. HH also toured the Moroccan pavilion, learning about the government and private agencies promoting tourism in Morocco.

During his tour, Sheikh Ahmed also visited the Hilton pavilion, which was designed with a focus on sustainability, in line with the exhibition’s theme for the year. In addition, His Highness toured several pavilions of local departments, including DET, GDRFA-Dubai, DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority), the Hatta pavilion, Flydubai, the Abu Dhabi pavilion, Etihad Airways, Sharjah pavilion, Jumeirah Group, Emirates Airline, and Dubai Police, to learn about the various destinations’ initiatives and offers.

ATM 2023-Day One

The first day of ATM 2023 features 20 sessions across the Global Stage, Travel Tech Stage, and the newly introduced Sustainability Hub. Along with the Ministerial Debate that explored ‘How Should Travel Tackle the Climate Crisis?’, the programme’s highlights include sessions such as ‘Technology: The Enabler of Sustainable Travel’, ‘Sustainability in the Travel Industry: Who Pays?’, and ‘Enhancing the Customer Experience Through AI’. Further, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is emphasising the significance of safeguarding the areas, livelihoods, and communities where hotels operate as part of the ‘Achieving Net Positive Hospitality’ session.

The 30th edition of the ATM is being held as a part of Arabian Travel Week (1-10 May 2023), which is a 10-day-long festival of events designed to facilitate collaboration among industry professionals worldwide and capitalise on market opportunities through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches, and networking events.

ATM 2023 is organised in partnership with DWTC and its strategic partners, including the DET as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner, and Al Rais Travel as the Official DMC Partner.