Business events and festivals set the stage for socio-economic growth, according to experts at Arabian Travel Market
Speaking during IBTM@ATM, the discussion launched four days of insightful sessions which will explore the thriving business events industry
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 2025: On the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) today, tourism leaders from the UAE were joined by representatives from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) on the Business Events Stage, to examine how major events and festivals are driving socio-economic growth in the UAE.
Moderated by Senthil Gopinath, CEO, ICCA, the panel featured Ahmed Al-Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, Dubai Economy and Tourism; Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director of Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Department of Culture and Tourism; Iyad Rasbey, VP – Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; and Martin Thomas Boyle, CEO, International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO). Together, they explored howevents are fostering socioeconomic growth and enhancing destination appeal across the Middle East region.
Opening the session, Al-Khaja elaborated on the pivotal role that festivals in Dubai have played in shaping the city's cultural and economic landscape. Notably, he highlighted the Dubai Shopping Festival, which was launched in 1996, as a particularly influential event that not only attracts local residents but also draws tourists from around the world each year.
Commenting on the events strategy for Abu Dhabi, Al Shamsi said: 'In recent years, Abu Dhabi has achieved remarkable success in hosting major exhibitions, conferences, and events, delivering clear economic benefits. However, our strategy extends beyond numbers and is focused on creating a long-lasting legacy that aligns with Vision 2030, with a focus on advancing key sectors including healthcare, innovation, sustainability and energy.'
According to Rasbey , events have been key to Ras Al Khaimah's rising prominence: 'Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) is an important segment and has contributed significantly to our growth. Last year, Ras Al Khaimah achieved 40% growth, with MICE being the fourth largest segment contributing to this.
'It is vital for us to secure events that contribute to our growth and development. Examples of past events include the Global Citizen Forum, which attracted investors and high-net-worth individuals to the Emirate. In terms of tourism growth, hosting the Arab Aviation Summit enabled us to connect Ras Al Khaimah International Airport with 11 cities globally.'
Elsewhere today, Fouad Talat, Regional Manager, Booking.com, John Bevan, CEO, dnata Travel Group and Amani O'Neill, Senior Public Policy Manager, Middle East, Airbnb, discussed the microtrends redefining travel. During the engaging session, the speakers covered trends including sleep tourism, dark tourism and coffee tourism, outlining how these trends are impacting global travel behaviours and shaping the way destinations evolve and adapt.
During the discussion, the speakers discussed how tourism providers should adjust their marketing strategies to align with these trends and provided practical applications for incorporating microtrends into long-term planning.
Tomorrow at ATM, the Business Events Stage will host an exclusive networking session where participants will have the opportunity to engage with prominent international and regional associations to foster strategic relationships, unlock collaboration opportunities and exchange high-value business leads.
This week, ATM will showcase 2,800 exhibitors and the event is expected to host 55,000 attendees from around the world. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain insights from over 200 high-profile speakers across more than 70 conference sessions on the Global Stage, Future Stage and the new Business Events Stage and connect with industry professionals from over 161 countries.
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. With over 48,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors, including over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries during last year's show, ATM remains a pivotal gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East's travel and tourism sector, it includes the all-New Business Events @ATM focusing on MICE, Start-Up Competition, influencers' events, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. It also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
About RX:
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
About RELX:
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are:
WTM London is the world's most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week's digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub.
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