The much-awaited continuation of the Arabian Travel Market – the Virtual ATM 2021 event, begins today as the travel and tourism industry convenes to show support to the revival of the industry. The virtual event will be held from 24 May to 26 May.
Those who were unable to attend Arabian Travel Market held in Dubai will have the opportunity, over the next three days, to view sessions recorded from the in-person event. Additionally, they will be able to participate in a range of webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, destination briefings, apart from one-to-one meetings to make new connections.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue with ATM Virtual 2021 off the back of the hugely successful in-person event at the Dubai World Trade Centre last week. We must be able to reach a wider audience as possible as the travel and tourism sector unites to pave the way forward towards fast-paced recovery beyond COVID-19,” said Danielle Curtis, exhibition director in the Middle East in Arabian Travel Market.
The virtual event, under the theme of ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’, begins with an exclusive airline industry leadership keynote interview hosted by airline expert John Strickland from JLS Consulting with Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark. It will be followed by IATA’s director general Willie Walsh keynote interview also with Strickland, exploring the priority issues on Willie Walsh’s agenda towards the process of recovery by seeking his views on how IATA needs to drive engagement and consistency of approach to permit airlines to commence.
The Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit, which one of the many highlights from the in-person ATM, will be showcased virtually today, for an exclusive look at the future of the hotel landscape in Saudi Arabia.
A session will be held exploring the changes afoot amid the rise of online travel agencies (OTAs) and what this means for tour and attraction operators across the region. Additionally, a candid interview with Peter Jamieson, Head of technology at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, will be aired as he discusses how the UAE’s capital is looking to reimagine the guest experience by creating a truly connected and personalized experience from travel planning to arrival and experiencing the destination.
