For 30 years, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai has served as a staging ground for discussions on the travel industry’s hottest trends. What started as a relatively humble conference to boost tourism in the Middle East has since transformed into a global extravaganza. This year’s event, which opened at the World Trade Centre on Monday with more than 2,000 exhibitors from 150 countries, is expected to see 34,000 visitors by the time it closes on Thursday.
What sets this year’s ATM apart is its sensitivity to the evolving needs of a more anxious, more socially conscious planet. Business travel is usually seen by companies as an unavoidable expense, but holidays are about avoiding — escaping from the worries of the world and seeing something new. But in a world with rising and inescapable complexities, a new breed of discerning traveller wants to get away guilt-free, knowing that their holiday plans are not only fun, but sensible, ethical and sustainable. For an industry that has, for many decades, ridden on the back of carbon-fuelled transportation, expecting a sudden environmental streak may seem like asking a lot.
The travel sector, of course, is no stranger to buzzwords, and “sustainable travel” has been a regular part of the industry lexicon for a few years now. But 2023’s ATM is a chance for exhibitors — which include national tourism boards, aviation giants, hoteliers and tour companies — to show they are not in the business of greenwashing. “Working towards net zero” is this year’s theme, and future generations of travellers are as much the target demographic as those who have itchy feet today.
To help digest the mammoth task of growing the travel industry without enlarging its footprint, ATM organisers have given space in the agenda to conversations about technology, AI and big data, and the role they can play in making travel more efficient.
A day-one discussion on big data is reminiscent of the 20th ATM, in 2013, when the organisers grabbed headlines by partnering with Google. The event had a “Technology Theatre”, where the tech giant provided up-to-the-minute travel global data and gave talks on how the information age will set the stage for a travel revolution.
Today’s data technology is lightyears ahead of what existed 10 years ago, but the appetite for data science in the travel sector has only grown with it. This year is another step forward in the process to get the world moving after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, and industry leaders will be keen to understand how and why certain destinations are more attractive than others. In a world of high inflation and buoyant oil prices, they will also want a precise idea of consumer price sensitivity, and what innovations can increase scale without sacrificing quality.
The best holidays rarely come without effort or expense, as most seasoned travellers will attest. But those who work in travel will know that the true difficulty lies in all the behind-the-scenes effort the industry puts in to create perfect getaways, whether for business or leisure. Every year, the task gets more complicated, but industry convenings like ATM are critical to ensuring that developments keep moving in the right direction.
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Company%20profile
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Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
