The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is set to highlight the thriving luxury tourism sector when it returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April to 1 May. Bringing together top-tier hospitality brands, influential industry figures, and innovative travel destinations, the event will showcase the latest trends and insights that are shaping the high-end travel segment.
According to McKinsey and Company, demand for luxury tourism and hospitality is expected to grow faster than any other industry. This is predominantly due to the rising number of high-net-worth individuals globally and a growing segment of aspiring luxury travellers willing to allocate larger proportions of their income to premium experiences.
Improved accessibility is also reshaping luxury travel, with emerging destinations benefitting from improved connectivity and the development of boutique hotels, eco resorts and exclusive retreats. This trend is reflected in the theme for ATM 2025: Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity,” which focuses on how better connectivity enables a more sustainable, inclusive, and globally integrated travel industry.
Luxury tourism and hospitality will reach USD391 billion by 2028, up from USD239 billion in 2023, with Asia gaining significant ground in the market segment. Supporting this trend, data recently issued by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf revealed that GCC states earned USD 110.4 billion in international tourism revenues in 2023. The largest share of tourists came from the Asia-Pacific region (38%), followed by the Middle East (25.1%), Europe (22.9%), Africa (8.8%), and the Americas (4.3%).
The GCC region is ideally positioned to cater to high-net-worth travellers seeking leading hotels and exclusive experiences. To meet rising demand, GCC countries are on track to add 400,000 hotel rooms by 2030, following the addition of 35,000 rooms in the last decade.
ATM 2025 will feature some of the world’s top-rated luxury destinations, such as the Maldives and Mauritius, as well as Peru, which will return to ATM after ten years. Visitors will be able to discover the country’s luxury offerings, including glamping in the Ica Desert and the Sacred Valley, luxury Amazon cruises, and train journeys across the Andes, where breathtaking landscapes meet world-class service.
Luxury travel is transforming in terms of consumer preferences, with travellers increasingly prioritising luxury cultural, artistic, and adventure-driven experiences. Hospitality brands worldwide are adapting to meet this demand, while sustainability has become a key focus, particularly in the GCC, where hotels are implementing eco-friendly initiatives to align with the growing preference for responsible, high-end travel.
The ATM 2025 Conference Programme will bring together top hospitality executives and luxury travel experts, who will share insights into the industry’s latest trends. Sessions include Generational Trends influencing Hyper-personalisation in Luxury led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, Fairmont and Minor Hotels and Retaining High-Net-Worth Travellers by Redesigning Their Experience featuring speakers from Kempinski, Banyan Tree Holdings, GSIQ and Matter of Form.
ATM is the leading global event for the inbound and outbound travel industry in the Middle East and is set to host over 47,000 attendees this year. Uniting an international community of travel professionals from Leisure, Luxury, Business Events and Corporate Travel, the event generates USD2.5billion in deals annually. For over 30 years, ATM has connected products and destinations from around the world with buyers and travel trade visitors at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2025’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.
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