Arabian Travel Market registers 'Unprecedented Growth'

The Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism show which gets under way at the Dubai World Trade Centre tomorrow, has registered unprecedented growth with 30% more occupied floor space than last year, over 1,400 exhibitors from 55 countries and a visitor pre-registration profile spanning 95 nations.

The 11th in the annual series and spanning some 11,800 square metres, Arabian Travel Market 2004 is the largest ever and organisers Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) say further growth is on the cards for next year.

“This year’s unprecedented growth is due to three factors, increasing stand space largely from Asian and Middle Eastern countries, a return to the show of Bulgaria, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Nepal and Greece, all of which were missing last year in the wake of the SARS and Iraq crises and a flurry of new entrants, again largely from the Middle East,” said Tom Nutley, Chairman, RTE.

“New to the show are first-time pavilions from Abu Dhabi and Iran and a host of new development projects from Dubailand to Emaar.

“While the show is now the fastest-growing in the RTE portfolio, normally registering between 10-15% annual increase in floor space – this year is a one-off. We do however, anticipate continued growth for next year, but at the more usual level.”

RTE says the scale of demand this year surpassed all expectations and has sent a clear signal that the travel and tourism industry globally is bouncing back from last year’s doldrums.

“We have had to turn down requests for additional space from some Dubai projects, Oman and Saudi Arabia – so the prospects for next year are healthy,” said Nutley. “The sheer scale and scope of demand is evidence, if any is needed, that this industry is exceptionally resilient.

“It is also encouraging that the exhibitor profile has expanded and this year also features extensive representation from adventure tour operators, well being clinics, spas, golf resorts, ferry companies and island hideaways. Many of these are new to the market and the business opportunities on offer are more expansive than ever.”

RTE is also anticipating its highest visitor turnout with this year’s pre-registrations some 35% up on the same time last year.

“Two heartening factors have emerged from the pre-registrations,” said Nutley. “Firstly, visitors have pre-registered from 95 countries –whereas the entire visitor turnout last year represented 84 countries. This suggests that we are now reaching new markets and a good many of those registered are visiting the show for the first time.”

The Arabian Travel Market 2004, which is held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and under the auspices of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai, will run at the DWTC until May 7.

The show will feature a full, free-to-attend programme of educational and informative seminars, with the seminar programme running from Wednesday, May 5 – Thursday, May 6 and will tackle some ground-breaking subjects.

World of Events will give delegates an outline on ‘Organising World Class Events in the Gulf;’ Market Vision Research and Consulting will outline ‘Trends In Outbound Travel From Saudi Arabia;’ Destination Services for Expedia Inc. will explore how ‘E-Commerce Is Not The Future, It Is The Present;’ Dar Al Manasek and waytoumrah.com will present ‘E-Umrah Made Easy;’ while the International Meeting Professionals Association will provide an outline on ‘Smart Packaging – Meetings-2-Go.’

VVIPs due to attend Arabian Travel Market 2004 include: His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of the UAE President’s Office; His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon, Chairman of Al Ain Economic Department and Tourism Promotion Authority; His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of Royal Jet, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Sheikh Tariq Bin Faisal Al Qassimi, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority; Photis Phoutiou, Chairman of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation; Mrs Nabila Al Anjari, Kuwait’s Undersecretary for Tourism and Bill Marriott, owner of Marriott Hotels.

Meanwhile, 70 of the world’s leading travel buyers from within the GCC and the international Meetings, Incentive, Conventions and Events (MICE) sector are being hosted. Many will fly in with Emirates, the show’s official airline and they will stay at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Dubai, the official hosted buyer property for 2004.

The hosted buyers will meet Arabian Travel Market exhibitors on the first day of the show in an appointment-setting session.

RTE says it has already begun work on Arabian Travel Market 2005, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 3-6 next year.

“We are currently in negotiations with the DWTC for additional space and we expect to deliver a show of more than 13,000 square metres nett,” said Nutley.

“We are optimistic of reaching this target and achieving even more growth because of the seemingly endless number of projects being developed in the Middle East and because of airlines from the region opening up new routes – such as Emirates imminently due to fly to the US and China. We will then be better able to access these markets.”

BBC World, the BBC’s commercially funded 24-hour international news and information channel, is the ‘Official Broadcast Partner’ for the Arabian Travel Market 2004. A BBC World crew will be at the show to film interviews for the channel’s Middle East Business Report and FASTTRACK programmes.

The Arabian Travel Market 2004 will be open to trade visitors only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday evening and Friday evening, the show will also be open to the public.

This year a charge of Dhs5 will be levied on adults visiting during the public sessions, while youngsters under the age of 16 will be allowed in free, providing they are accompanied by an adult. Visitors producing a Visa card, will also be allowed free entry.