The 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from May 1 to 4 with travel professionals and policymakers from across the globe coming together to explore how the tourism sector is working to drive decarbonisation.

The four-day event will feature over 150 speakers across 63 sessions, with ministers from the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Jamaica and Spain to join a host of senior figures from the private sector to showcase sustainable innovations, share knowledge and best practice, and explore opportunities and challenges along the road to net zero.

The 30th edition will “address one of the most significant challenges facing the sector, in line with our theme of Working Towards Net Zero”, commented Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, ATM.

“Increased participation in this year’s show not only reflects the seriousness with which global tourism professionals and policymakers are taking sustainability, but also rising demand for leisure and business travel across the Middle East and beyond.”

Exhibitor participation will be 27 per cent higher than last year, with more than 2,000 exhibitors and beyond 34,000 attendees from over 150 countries.

The event will also host an array of regional policymakers, private-sector leaders, and speakers addressing sector-critical issues throughout the four days of the event.

Curtis added: “We look forward to learning how they are working to achieve net zero within their respective tourism markets, as our industry comes together to showcase the cutting-edge innovations and solutions that are driving the next generation of sustainable travel in the Middle East and beyond.”

To mark the 30th edition, Curtis and her team will unveil a dedicated sustainability pledge designed to reinforce commitment to the delivery of sustainable events and supplemented by a new playbook offering participants a framework within which to mitigate their environmental impact before, during and after the show – it also offers an operational guide for ATM as it works towards net zero by 2030.

In addition, this year’s show will also see the return of the ATM Travel Tech Stage, which will showcase how cutting-edge innovations – artificial intelligence, metaverse, cryptocurrency and big data – are driving environmentally responsible tourism.

Highlights of ATM 2023 include the brand-new Sustainability Hub, which will feature sessions dedicated to the latest sustainable travel trends and innovations; the ATM 2023 Start-up Competition, an event that will see entrepreneurs go head-to-head in a ‘Sustainable Tech Pitch Battle’; the International Luxury Travel Market Arabia; and sessions from the International Tourism & Investment Conference, the International Congress and Convention Association, and the Global Business Travel Association.
Other highlights include sessions focused on the key markets of India, China and the GCC, as well as informal speed networking.