Deals worth $2.5B to be signed at ATM

dubai — The Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2018) will open its doors on Sunday, April 22, with deals worth over $2.5 billion expected to be signed over the course of the 4-day event.

Now in its 25th year, the event is expected to draw the participation of over 2,500 exhibiting companies and will feature the largest ever hotel exhibition space in the show’s history. Over 40,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, which will be held under the theme of ‘Responsible Tourism’.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the event opening, Simon Press, senior exhibition director, ATM, said the event will be the largest

We want to bring in more tourists to Dubai, whether it’s for leisure or for business Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai’s Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing

one to date, featuring 65 national pavilions from 150 countries. “Now just 2 years away, Expo 2020 is driving growth in Dubai as the emirate seeks to complete 160,000 hotel rooms in time to welcome an additional 5 million visitors for the mega event,” he said. “Over the coming years, we will see these new properties prosper as millions more tourists visit the region for the first time. The last 12 months brought unprecedented developments in major markets and the region is poised for further great developments in 2018.”

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai’s Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said the goal for the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors has been very clear from the start. “We want to bring in more tourists to Dubai, whether it’s for leisure or for business. However, this also means that we have a responsibility to ensure that our goals and growth are sustainable. In this, we are lucky to have the support of Emirates airline.”

— rohma@khaleejtimes.com