Arabian Travel Market highlights rising visitor numbers

Image by Katja Hamilton. More than 41,000 visitors attend the annual Arabian Travel Market in Dubai

Despite the recent floods that wreaked havoc in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) three weeks ago, the city’s tremendous clean-up operations ensured that the esteemed Arabian Travel Market (ATM) was ready to welcome its more than 41,000 visitors.

The streets of the city are open to traffic and bustling commerce is in full swing; More than 2,300 exhibitors and representatives from more than 165 countries are present at the fair under the theme Enabling innovation: transforming travel through entrepreneurship.

To officially mark the opening of the four-day meeting, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, addressed attendees at the Global Stage and emphasized the aim of helping the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourism sector into a center of innovative growth. and sustainable success.

Image by Katja Hamilton. The global stage at the Arab travel market in Dubai

This, he said, would build on the remarkable revival of the region’s tourism sector, with airports and hotels experiencing unprecedented traffic and growth in the region’s post-Covid-19 recovery phase.

He highlighted plans for a unified GCC tourist visa and Emirates’ expansions, including partnerships and new A350 destinations.

GCC tourism visa revolution

The minister explained the GCC’s decision to greenlight a uniform tourist visa for all six countries, which will be introduced by the end of the year. This groundbreaking decision is poised to revolutionize travel logistics, making it easier and more affordable for tourists to explore the region’s diverse offerings.

He also explained that the introduction of this visa is in line with the GCC’s vision to increase tourism activity and generate employment within the sector. It is a strategic move aimed at increasing tourism revenues and contributing significantly to the GDP of the GCC economies.

Image by Katja Hamilton. Emirates has announced the first batch of destinations to be served by the new A350 aircraft which will enter service at the Arabian Travel Market in September 2024 and enter service this week

Emirates’ strategic partnerships

Yet another highlight of the first day of ATM was the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates Airline and Group.

During his visit, he signed memoranda of understanding with Tourism Malaysia, Turkiye Tourism Promotion and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce on Monday, committing to attracting travelers to their more than 140 destinations.

In addition, Emirates announced a partnership with the China Cultural Center in the UAE to boost inbound traffic to China from the airline’s extensive global network.

Emirates also announced the first set of destinations to be served by the new A350 aircraft, which will enter service in September 2024.

With ten A350s expected to join the fleet by March 31, 2025, the airline plans to deploy its latest aircraft type to nine destinations in the coming months. This expansion will serve short to medium-haul cities across the Emirates network, with Bahrain as the first destination.

Other destinations include Kuwait, Muscat, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Colombo, Lyon, Bologna and Edinburgh.

“We are embarking on a journey to strengthen the GCC not only as a collection of destinations, but also as a unique, dynamic hub for all travelers,” he said.
the minister concluded.