Hotels will comprise a fifth of the total show area at Arabian Travel Market 2018, the largest exhibition of regional and global hotel brands in the history of the event.
Arabian Travel Market will this year feature 68 main hotel stand exhibitors, including eight new brands, over an area of more than 5,000 sqm, in addition to over 100 Middle East hotels featured alongside their respective national tourism organisations.
Simon Press, senior exhibition director, ATM, said: “Arabian Travel Market continues to be the preferred route to market for many international and regional hospitality brands and the increase in hotel exhibition space in 2018 reflects the hundreds of new property and brand launches we have seen during the last 12 months.
“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.”
The largest stands will feature A. A. Al Moosa Enterprises UAE, owners of hotels operated by Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, Taj and Wyndham; Intercontinental Hotel Group; and the Middle East’s newest hotel group, Roda Hotels.
They will operate stands covering 185sqm, 120sqm and 100sqm, respectively.
Celebrating its 25th edition in 2018, ATM will also welcome some of the brands that were present at the first show, back in 1994.
Including Abjar Hotels International, Abu Dhabi National Hotels Forte Group, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Taj Hotels.
As stakeholders in the regional hospitality industry, each brand has contributed to the GCC’s phenomenal rate of growth, which is driven currently by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Data from STR confirms the total pipeline of rooms in the GCC currently stands at 152,551 across 518 properties.
The leading contributors are the UAE with 73,981 rooms in the pipeline; Saudi Arabia with 64,015; and Oman with 8,823.
The growth expected across the GCC and Middle East will bring billions of dollars in opportunities for the region’s key players.
Press said: “Providing key intelligence, insight and advice, the Destination Investment Forum is the next step in pairing owners and investors with operators highlighting the opportunities that will drive the next era of hospitality in the region.
“The event will outline opportunities for private sector investors as well as providing a forum to ensure regional strategies for future development are aligned.”
In celebrations of its 25th year, this year’s show will host a series of seminar sessions looking back on the tourism revolution in the MENA region over the last quarter of a century, while exploring how the industry will shape up over the next 25 years, in light of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, huge technological advances and, of course, the increasing trend of responsible tourism.
Following a successful launch last year, the second edition of the International Luxury Travel Market Arabia will return on the first two days of the show. International luxury suppliers and key luxury buyers will connect via one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments and networking opportunities.
ATM – considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2017 event, including 2,661 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than $2.5 billion over the four days.
The event will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22nd-25th.