By Donia Hamouda

The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which will take place from May 1-4 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will host over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 150 countries and is expected to attract 34,000 visitors.

The event is part of the UAE's annual Arabian Travel Week and will focus on the theme 'Working Towards Net Zero' to encourage participants to explore innovations that can accelerate the decarbonisation of the travel industry. Exhibitor participation has grown by 27% compared to last year, and the event's Travel Tech and Hotels sectors have expanded by 62% and 37.5%, respectively.

The speaker line-up includes industry leaders such as Emirates’ Sir Tim Clark, and the opening session will be a ministerial debate on how travel can address the climate crisis. In addition, ATM will unveil a dedicated sustainability pledge to reinforce its commitment to delivering sustainable events, with a focus on using environmentally friendly materials and eliminating single-use plastics.

His Excellency, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented:

 

It is indeed fitting that this year’s ATM theme focusses on sustainability to build a better future for tourism. For us, this theme assumes even greater significance as 2023 is UAE’s Year of Sustainability and Dubai will be hosting COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference. Dubai has made significant strides in this area, with strategies to reduce carbon footprint and create a more environmentally conscious tourism industry, aligned with the ambition of our visionary leadership to make Dubai the best city in the world to visit, live, and work in. As momentum continues to accelerate across the global tourism and MICE segments, we welcome the pursuit of a more evolved, collaborative, inclusive and long-term approach to sustainable growth and practices for the industry.