Travel industry representatives from 42 countries will attend the sixth Arabian Travel Market in Dubai next week, with plans for the millennium being a dominant theme.
The 520 exhibitors at the Middle East’s most prestigious trade show, up from 500 in 1998, will use an additional 10% of exhibition space. Among them will be the tourism boards of Singapore and Thailand, returning after missing last year’s show due to the Far East economic crisis.
Also back after an absence in 1998 will be India’s Taj Hotel Group, Qantas, Europcar and the French Tourism Authority, who will be joined by new exhibitors such as Athens International Airport, Holiday Autos, and Spain’s Sol Melia hotels.
On a regional level, Oman will return after a one-year absence, bringing the number of Middle Eastern countries to 11, among them Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
However, Gulf Air is missing this year’s ATM, apparently to focus on its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2000, and Yemen feels it is not appropriate to attend following the tragic kidnappings of tourists in the country earlier this year.
Representatives from the region, including hoteliers, ground handlers, tour operators and airlines, will have the chance to showcase their culture and traditions in a brand new Arabian Village with a central stage area for dance, music, and drama, and an exhibition of national handicrafts.
Elsewhere in the exhibition halls, the greatest single sector representation will be by major hotel groups, many of which are to unveil plans for expansion in the Middle East.
These include Hilton, Four Seasons, Forte, and Rotana, which will announce additions to its portfolio in the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Beirut.
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