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Inbound and outbound destination management companies in the UAE are
predicting strong growth and are looking to leverage business at Arabian
Travel Market (ATM) – the Middle East’s foremost travel and tourism event –
which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 4-7.
The UAE’s Net Group of Companies and Desert Adventure Tourism are
among exhibitors who say regional prospects are on the up and up.
“We expect the sector to develop substantially in the Gulf,” said Ali Abu
Monassar, Vice Chairman of the Net Group of Companies, which is the official ATM ground handler.
“The combination of both government and private sector investment is
drawing our sector into the region’s economic growth pattern.”
Monassar said the Net Group expects to increase outbound business in the
GCC from Dhs5 million to Dhs6.5 million in the current year, while business
to Egypt, Syria and Morocco should reach Dhs 5 million and grow by a further 30% by 2005.
Desert Adventure Tourism is also in expansionary mode and is preparing to
launch outbound services.
Managing Director, Samir Tabbah, said: “This year at ATM our main plan is
to launch a fully-fledged outbound division offering holiday packages, hotel
reservations and airline ticketing.
“We are already on course to increase the number of inbound tourists we
handle from 40,000 last season to 48,000 this year and the new operation
can build on this.”
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), which organises ATM, says the show, which
has grown this year by 24% in occupied floor space, is mirroring a renewed
air of optimism throughout the travel and tourism industry.
“All exhibitors, across almost every sector, are very positive about the
future, said Matt Thompson, Overseas Exhibition Director, RTE. “We anticipate some sizeable business being transacted this year.”
To date, exhibitors from 52 countries have signed on for ATM 2004, which is
expected to benefit from the staging just prior to the event of the 4th Global
Travel & Tourism Summit in Doha from May 1-3. The summit is being organised by the World Travel & Tourism Council. |
