DTCM’s Helal Saeed Al Marri addresses travel corridor concerns at ATM

As keynote speaker at ATM’s opening session, Dubai Tourism’s director general promised positive announcements to come

Local, regional and international travel and tourism industry professionals converged at the Dubai World Trade Centre today, 16 May 2021, for the opening of the Arabian Travel Market 2021 (ATM). The first major in-person international travel event since the outbreak of the pandemic hosted representatives from 62 countries.

See highlights on Connecting Travel’s Instagram page.

One of the highlights of the first day was Tourism for a Brighter Future moderated by CNN’s Becky Anderson. Keynote speakers were led by HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general of Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

Talking about tourism and its impact on Dubai’s economy, HE Helal Saeed Al Marri said: “We will definitely be opening up the economy further, and you’ll see announcements coming regarding that. The reason we’re doing that is because the data shows us we can. What we do is we look at how the data is going with the precautions that are in place, and if we find that it’s working, we continue to adjust. If we find something needs to be tweaked, we can also tweak the other way.”

When asked about the UK’s decision to place the UAE on the red list, HE Helal Saeed Al Marri said specific requirements for green-lighting countries had not been shared. “Is there a formula we’ve been given?” he said, “Not that I’m aware of. It’s not as clear-cut as that. It’s something we’re working very hard on. We’re working closely with countries to ensure that the various travel corridors remain open and do open, and that’s the way it will continue to go.”

Over the course of the four-day event, 145 speakers will share their expertise at 67 conference sessions.

Speaking about what else visitors to this year’s event could expect, Arabian Travel Market exhibition director ME Danielle Curtis said: “This year more than any other, we, along with our partners and sponsors, have worked together closely, to enable an inspirational in-person event, that will set the tone for the Middle East travel and tourism industry for the rest of this year. We will be looking to capitalise on the latest trends and opportunities, as well as meeting challenges head-on with innovative solutions – with governments, trade associations, industry professionals and influencers, all working in unison.”

Under the theme of ‘A New Dawn for Travel & Tourism’, the 28th edition of the four-day show, which concludes on Wednesday 19 May, has 62 countries being represented on the exhibition floor, including the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, underscoring the strength of the ATM brand and its international reach.

Other features this year will include Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts providing industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will shape the future of travel and tourism.

To register for ATM 2021, click here