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A total of 159,424 rooms are currently under contract in the Gulf region, a report said, adding that Saudi Arabia is leading tourism development activities in the GCC with 100,071 hotel rooms.
According to global market data provider STR, Dubai was the second most active market in the region with 27,095 rooms signed, followed by Qatar (17,145), Oman (10,292), Bahrain (3,452) and Kuwait ( 1,369) hotel industry.
The 2023 Arab Travel Market (ATM) International Tourism and Investment Conference (ITIC) Middle East Tourism Investment Conference will be held May 1-4.
In addition to the ITIC symposium, this year’s show will feature sessions on key industry-focused issues such as investment in travel technology, contemporary geopolitical landscape, urban renewal, future markets, space tourism and more.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market ME, said: “With close to 160,000 hotel rooms under construction in the GCC, the region is undoubtedly a hotspot for global industry investment right now. Travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from around the world provide an ideal forum to explore the latest investment opportunities and novel financing models in our sector with some of the biggest names in the industry.”
The ‘ITIC Tourism Investing Conference: Making Sustainable Decisions’ on day three of ATM 2023 will feature insights from a wide range of industry experts. The conference will start with the Tourism Economy Outlook to 2023, Gerald Lawless is Director of ITIC, Invest Tourism Ltd and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Ambassador.
Following ITIC’s opening session, there will be a panel discussion on the growing correlation between sustainability and investment in tourism, moderated by BBC News Middle East business correspondent Sameer Hashmi. Speakers will include His Excellency Ahmed Isa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt; Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica; Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Maher Abou, Vice President, Operations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts Nasr.
The ITIC session at ATM 2023 will conclude with an interview between Elizabeth Maclean, Joint Managing Director, Herdwick Communications, and Dr Lubna Bader Salim Al Mazroei, Investment Manager, Economic Diversification, Oman Investment Authority, during which the two will discuss the growing role of women globally Opportunities for tourism in the Middle East.
The 30th edition of the show will also feature “Plug and Play: Sustainable Technologies – Startup Pitch,” where seven entrepreneurs will present their innovative solutions before a panel of independent industry experts at ATM 2023’s brand new Sustainability Center plan. The winning startup will receive a range of industry support, including access to Plug and Play’s startup accelerator cohort and exhibition space at ATM 2024.
Other investment-related highlights at ATM 2023 will include sessions on sustainable tourism financing, supporting green technology, strengthening supply chains, future-proofing the tourism sector from geopolitical turmoil, the power of urban regeneration, future markets and space tourism.
The 30th edition of ATM will explore the future of sustainable tourism under its theme ‘Towards Net Zero’. Following the official launch of the Net Zero Tour, the conference program will explore how innovative sustainable travel trends may evolve, allowing delegates to identify growth strategies for key verticals, while providing a platform for regional experts to explore a sustainable future ahead of COP28, It will be held in Dubai Expo City in November 2023.
The conference will also, for the first time, include a sustainability category in its annual exhibitor awards. Exhibiting organizations will be recognized based on how well they consider the environmental impact of their booth and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
ATM 2023 is co-hosted with Dubai World Trade Center with strategic partners including Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as Destination Partner, Emirates as Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as Official Hotel Partner And Al Rais Travel as official DMC partner. – trade arab news agency
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