UAE Inbound and Outbound Destination Management Firms predict strong growth

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.