Arabian Travel

Market

The region’s leading travel and tourism networking and seminar event dedicated to unlocking the business potential within the Middle East and pan-Arab region, attracting buyers from 108 countries (2007). ATM offers four days of intensive meetings, seminars, press conferences, and social networking opportunities at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center for the over 23,500 key industry players expected to attend in 2008. Over a third of the visitors to ATM 2007 had a spending level of US $500,000 or above. The VIP's buyer club, Meridian Club, is for the travel industry's decision makers and budget spenders, and last year's event saw a seven percent increase in attendance from Meridian Club members.

Buyers with the power to sign contracts are coming to Arabian Travel Market specifically to source products from the Americas, but in the past there has only been a demand but no supply: 18% of pre-registered buyers at ATM 2007 stated they planned to buy products from the Americas and 7.2% were actually sourcing products from North America. This drop-off was possibly a reflection of the unavailability of US products on the show floor, and we need your help to change that.

Middle East Outbound Travellers

1. 64% of UAE travelers travel abroad at least once a year, majority of them travelling on leisure & VFR (visiting friends & family) trips
2. Over two-thirds of holiday goers travel with family
3. One-half prefer to stay in four & five star hotels or furnished apartments
4. On an average they spend 24 nights abroad per trip
5. Have an average expenditure per trip of over US$ 1,700, 1.4 x more than the European average of about US$1,200.

Arabs travel for longer, in large family groups, and spend more money on luxury products. This money could be spent on tourism in the United States.

Travelling from the Middle East to

the U.S.

1. There are now good flight links between the Middle East and the United States, with Emirates flying direct to New York and Houston, and Delta flying between Atlanta and Dubai
2. Many UAE nationals need to travel to the USA for business and to visit relatives and need information about local hotels, ground handlers, etc.
3. Many more would travel to the USA for vacations if encouraged by a positive PR campaign
4. The 80% of the UAE population who are expatriates (and so non-Emirati) will travel to the USA because they are searching for alternative holiday destinations.

The increase in passenger seats between the Middle East and USA is a reflection of changing attitudes.

Media Attention

With close to 1,000 travel and tourism journalists attending ATM 2007 and the numbers expected to rise for 2008, the event is an ideal platform to launch new products and services. The international and regional Arabian Travel Market advertising campaign will feature in 40 publications, in excess of 40 countries and translate into six languages. It is estimated that Arabian Travel Market trade advertising reaches over 800,000 key industry players.

Discover America Pavilion Exhibitors are offered:

Sponsorship and promotional opportunities
Optional furniture, plants, equipment
Custom signage and graphics
Custom booths
On site labor
Booth staff and interpreters
Consolidated shipments
Hotel accommodations
VAT refund service