ATM 2024 Anticipates Doubling Number Of Chinese Participants, Signalling Travel Boom

The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, scheduled to be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 6th to 9th May, is poised for a significant increase in participation from Chinese exhibitors and travel professionals. This surge is anticipated to be double the numbers seen in its 2019 iteration. Research conducted by Oxford Economics forecasts a notable uptick in outbound travel from China, projecting figures to nearly double this year compared to 2023, albeit still 22 percent shy of the peak pre-pandemic figures of 155 million tourists in 2019, who collectively spent over $250 billion overseas. A full recovery of these numbers is expected by 2025, with the Middle East slated to be the first region globally to regain its Chinese inbound market fully.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME for the Arabian Travel Market, shared insights into the evolving dynamics of the Chinese outbound market. Despite initial optimistic projections for a swift recovery by summer 2023, the actual rebound fell short of expectations. Nevertheless, current analyses suggest a promising year ahead, with potential doubling in visitor numbers from China. The Middle East, particularly noted for luxury travel, is expected to outpace other regions in attracting Chinese tourists. Curtis also highlighted recent spending trends, noting a 7 percent increase in overseas transactions by Chinese tourists during the Chinese New Year 2024, as reported by Alipay. Popular destinations within the Middle East for these travelers include Dubai, Saudi’s AlUla, Egypt, and Jordan, with Dubai alone having welcomed over one million Chinese visitors back in 2019.

ATM 2024 is set to see a significant boost in Chinese participation, with expectations of more than double the exhibitors compared to ATM 2019. This includes new exhibitors from the private sector such as Heytrip International, Jiangsu Intelligence Equipment Co, Flightroutes24 Travel Company Ltd, Feeyo Technology, and anticipated destination representation from entities like the Macao Government Tourism Office, China Cultural Centre in the UAE, and the Hongkong Tourism Board.

Aligned with this year's theme ‘Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship’, ATM 2024 will feature sessions focused on entrepreneurship along with dedicated discussions for other key source markets including India and the Americas. The event will showcase various features centered around the theme and deliver informative content through keynote speeches and thought leadership sessions across the Global Stage and the newly introduced Future Stage.

The ATM 2024 promises to be a pivotal platform for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the travel industry. With an enhanced focus on key markets and a significant increase in participation from Chinese travel professionals and exhibitors, the event is set to offer valuable insights and opportunities for stakeholders across the global travel ecosystem.

With inputs from WAM