ETW Staff – Mumbai
Family centric travel, which accounted for more than 12.5 per cent of the US$ 1.07 trillion global tourism market, has been selected as the official show theme for Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015, which will take place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 4-7 May 2015. There will also be a focus on travel technology, business travel, luxury and wellness.
According to Thomson Reuters’ data, the value of the global family tourism market was US$ 140 billion in 2013. That figure is set to rise to over US$ 180 billion by 2018 with growth expected to continue at a rate of 4.79 per cent annually until 2020, compared with just 3.8 per cent overall tourism growth.
Special ATM 2015 seminar sessions will evaluate impact and value of the local and global family travel market as 25 per cent of MENA residents opt for luxury accommodation and 20 per cent choose to fly first or business for leisure. The number of wealthy families making travel a high-spend priority is on the rise, and this will be a major focus of the ATM 2015 seminar series as the region’s inbound and outbound travel professionals look to capitalise on this niche market opportunity.
According to the latest YouGov report, the top three luxury holiday destinations for MENA residents are UAE (14 per cent), Italy (10 per cent) and Turkey (5 per cent). Top-end hotels look set to profit from this trend with over a third of MENA residents usually staying in luxury hotels when travelling for leisure.
Meanwhile, this year India has been shortlisted along with Japan and Nepal for the New Frontiers Recovery Award. Arabian Travel Market awards scheme recognises Asian nations as their tourism sectors prevail in the face of overwhelming adversity after being struck by devastating natural disasters. The shortlisted destinations Japan, Nepal and India have been recognised for dealing with the dual trauma of significant human and economic losses in the last 12 months due to devastating natural catastrophes, their effect on local tourism and their remarkable efforts to recover. “On a humanitarian level we are all obliged to assist those nations suffering the consequences of a natural disaster, the effects which can be devastating,” explains Nadege Noblet, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market. “The tourism industry is unique in that it not only experiences the direct consequences of a natural disaster, but it is also able to highlight a country’s plight to a broader international audience. The New Frontiers Recovery Award, which is now in its 11th year, highlights and recognises the efforts made by nations, to rebuild and recover, after suffering from an environmental catastrophe,” he adds.