Collaboration at the government level crucial for tourism recovery said formal UNWTO Secretary-General
Exhibitors from 62 countries and travel professionals from over 100 countries represented at ATM
The highly anticipated virtual element of hybrid ATM takes place next week, from 24 – 26 May
The Middle East Tourism Summit, organized by ITIC in association with Arabian Travel Market 2021, concluded the Middle East region’s largest travel and tourist showcase by urging ongoing government collaboration to help the region’s tourism industry recover. The remarks were made ahead of ATM Virtual, which will take place from May 24 to 26.
“Governments must come together. They must work together. There is no sense in any
country working on its own anymore,” said Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Tourism
and Investment Conference (ITIC) and former Secretary General UNWTO.
The summit, which will be broadcast live on May 27th, was held under the theme ‘Invest-Rebuild-Restart the Middle East Tourism Industry,’ and was attended by high-level decision makers, professionals, and investors who discussed the challenges, issues, and opportunities, but most importantly, the way forward for the tourism industry in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit also highlighted a new vision for responsible tourism recovery, emphasizing the importance of green, long-term investment.
“Putting sustainability at the heart of the future development of the tourism industry in
the Middle East will be crucial to meet the expectations of local and international
visitors, who are now more socially aware and informed, than ever before. The industry
has undoubtedly made huge strides in this area, with a range of initiatives across the sector positively impacting the environment,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market.
On the final day of ATM, an informative session titled “East Meets West: Lessons Learned Leading to Recovery and Ongoing Resilience” with guest panellists from industry associations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and the Pacific Asia Travel Association was also on the conference agenda (PATA).
The overwhelming conclusion was that it is critical that countries and destinations collaborate to share best practices and harmonize standards in order to resume global travel smoothly and safely, a topic that aviation experts had previously emphasized at ATM.
According to the panel, one of the most pressing concerns making the current scenario so tough for the business is that the environment remains uncertain and there is a lack of transparency, making medium to long-term planning impossible.
Another popular lecture was a hotel summit addressing the challenges to conventional hospitality posed by social alienation and a growing dependence on technology, which by its very nature is impersonal.
A panel of hospitality executives decided that nothing could ever replace true hospitality; instead, guests would determine how much human engagement they wanted – combining safety with personal attention while maximizing technology’s efficiency without sacrificing service excellence.
Next week, the highly anticipated ATM Virtual event takes place from the 24th to the 26th of May. Those who were unable to attend the in-person event this year will be able to view sessions recorded from the event, as well as participate in a variety of webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, destination briefings, and make new connections in one-on-one meetings during the three-day showcase.
During the virtual week, Arival Dubai @ ATM will also take place. A variety of workshops will discuss current and future trends for tour and attraction providers at the event.
In addition, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s leading business travel and meetings trade association, will provide the most up-to-date business travel content, research, and education to aid in the post-pandemic recovery and business travel growth.
“This week has been a resounding success, we’ve welcomed exhibitors from 62
countries and travel professionals from over 100 countries during the four days of the
event,” said Curtis.
“Next week, ATM Virtual gives us the opportunity to interact with an even greater global
audience. With travel restrictions still in place for many people, for those unable to
attend the live and in-person event, the virtual element provides the perfect platform for
travel professionals to connect, do business and hear from leading lights within the
industry, from anywhere in the world,” added Curtis.
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