Middle East region’s largest travel and tourism showcase, Arabian Travel Market continues this week from 24 May to 26 May with the highly anticipated ATM Virtual event. During the three-day showcase, which begins today, those unable to attend the in-person event this year have the opportunity to view sessions recorded from the in-person event, as well as participate in a range of webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, destination briefings, as well as make new connections in one-to-one meetings.

Danielle Curtis, exhibition director in the Middle East in Arabian Travel Market, said: “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.”

Under the theme of ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’, the virtual event begins with an exclusive airline industry leadership keynote interview with Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark, with airline expert John Strickland from JLS Consulting. It will be followed by IATA’s director general Willie Walsh keynote interview, also with John Strickland and will explore the priority issues on Willie Walsh’s agenda and seek his views on how IATA needs to drive engagement and consistency of approach to permit airlines to begin the process of recovery.

One of the many highlights from the in-person event last week, the Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit returns virtually today, for an exclusive look at the future of Saudi Arabia’s hotel landscape.

Other hot topics include a session exploring the changes afoot amid the rise of online travel agencies (OTAs) and what this means for tour and attraction operators across the region, as well a candid interview with Peter Jamieson, Head of technology at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, as he discusses how the UAE’s capital is looking to reimagine the guest experience by creating a truly connected and personalised experience from travel planning to arrival and experiencing the destination.