Travellers to the region are increasingly looking beyond conventional tours and leisure programmes and itineraries and are instead actively seeking out atypical experiences and activities that promise a standout trip.
After all, it is these experiences – not flights or hotels – which inspire travel in the first place, and it is these experiences which create our holiday memories with family and friends.
According to the latest data from Phocuswright, in-destination tourism (tours, activities and attractions) is currently the third largest and fastest growing sector within the travel and hospitality industry, representing approximately $180 billion in global travel spend annually.
This growing trend is now on the radar of the region’s tourism chiefs as they look to diversify their more traditional tourism propositions, creating and showcasing a global hub of unforgettable experiences for both tourists and residents alike.
With this in mind, Arabian Travel Market organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions has partnered with Arival, the leading in-destination conference, to bring the very first event of its kind to the Middle East – providing a platform for travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world to explore the next generation of in-destination trends and innovations.
The dedicated forum, which will take place alongside Arabian Travel Market 2020 (ATM) on Sunday April 19 from 12:00pm till 5:45pm, will enable creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions to gain invaluable insights into the latest trends and challenges impacting the in-destination industry, share knowledge that could improve the overall customer experience and build connections that could present key business growth opportunities in the Middle East market.
Delegates at the inaugural Arival Dubai @ ATM forum will have access to a packed conference agenda featuring high-profile keynote speakers, with Arival co-founder and CEO Douglas Quinby, kicking-off proceedings with a session on the current and future in-destination trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the Middle East sector.
The forum will also feature ‘Ask Me Anything Interviews’ with a range of senior executives from leading attractions and online agencies within the region. There will also be several round-table discussions on innovations and distributions impacting the in-destination industry and changing consumer behaviour, as well as providing insights into the key technological trends in online booking, connectivity, mobile ticketing, revenue management, and digital marketing best practices designed specifically for tour and attraction operators.
Arival Dubai @ ATM will form part of this year’s Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising several co-located shows which will run from April 16-23, 2020 and will include Arabian Travel Market 2020; ILTM Arabia; the inaugural Travel Forward – a new tech and hospitality innovation event; dedicated conference summits and buyer forums for key source markets India, Saudi Arabia, Russia and China, and ATM Speed Networking Events.
* The writer is exhibition director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market