The Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is an annual travel and tourism event held in Dubai to give inbound and outbound tourism professionals in the Middle East a platform and provide information on travel destinations, lodging options, tourist attractions, and the aviation industry in the region and worldwide.
The ATM this year, tagged “Working Toward Net Zero,” convened from May 1–4 at the Dubai World Trade Center for its 30th Edition. It focused on sustainable tourism and coincided with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability.
Like previous years, Africa made a grand appearance; with countries like South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Seychelles in attendance, just to mention a few.
Their colourful stands not only showcased their culture but also showed the world that Africa is ripe and ready for tourists.
Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) pulled up an outstanding performance at this edition; further solidifying Dubai’s position as one of the foremost tourist destinations in the world. DET won the “Best Stand for Doing Business” Award for its outstanding three-story exhibition area. The judges at the ATM presented DET with the award and cited the stand’s welcoming ambience, comfortable seating, spacious layout, and outstanding hospitality.
Additionally, DET organized the largest ATM Hosted Buyers Program to highlight Dubai’s exceptional hospitality and wide range of offerings. 450 purchasers, spanning all areas, participated in the program this year, setting a record-high number from 31 different markets and countries.
DET also hosted some top Media professionals from across Africa to not only witness the ATM but also experience the glamour of Dubai. This media FAM Trip had media representatives from Ghana, Angola, D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Angola and South Africa.
Following the strong performance of its tourism industry in Q1 2023, which saw Dubai welcome 4.67 million international overnight visitors from January to March, compared to 3.97 million tourists during the same period in 2022, a 17% YoY growth and achieving 98% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023, the city’s participation at ATM 2023 was successful. This has made Dubai the fastest-recovering destination globally.