TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Each year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) addresses issues reshaping the international travel landscape. The 32nd edition of the global event, to be organised at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 28 April to 1 May 2025 under the theme, ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, will focus on key industry trends, including innovation, connectivity and customisation.
TT Bureau
Under the theme ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, ATM 2025’s extensive conference programme and exhibition will explore how contemporary shifts in technology and traveller behaviour can both contribute to and benefit from enhanced connectivity.
Commenting on the changing face of global travel, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Connectivity through technology is obviously a key growth area in travel and tourism, but it is also about the seamless flow and interaction of people, goods and ideas, which support businesses worldwide. So, if you are looking to engage with the global trends, cultural shifts and traveller behaviours shaping the future of the tourism sector, there is no better place than ATM.”
One of the trends expected to shape the market in 2025 and beyond is so-called nostalgia travel. From remakes of 1990s films to early 2000s music acts on tour, the pull of the past is strong for the millennials. Many of today’s travellers, including those from the UAE, are seeking to reconnect with their youth by recreating special trips or childhood dreams. Some are also looking to connect with their own children by sharing nostalgic experiences in familiar places, providing myriad opportunities for enterprising travel companies.
Sports and music tourism is also experiencing significant growth, with the former expected to be worth $1.33 trillion and the latter forecast to reach $13.8 billion by 2032. Fans are not only travelling more to see their favourite teams and artists but are also increasing their budgets to do so. Regional markets are already capitalising on this trend, with Saudi Arabia welcoming 2.5 million overseas tourists across 80 international sports events in the last four years alone.
Travel to and from the APAC region is expected to see a resurgence from 2025, with numbers of arrivals on track to exceed the pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year.
