The figures are simply phenomenal – 46,000 industry professionals including 33,500 visitors from over 160 countries attended the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Mart between May 3-9 in Dubai, UAE. This represents a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in attendees compared to ATM’s landmark 30th edition, setting a new record for the show and demonstrating the strength, resilience and momentum of the global travel and tourism sector. 

Aligned with the theme Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship, over 2,600 exhibitors convened at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) during ATM 2024. Here, industry leaders delved into the catalysts propelling sectoral growth and unearthed forthcoming opportunities within the global tourism domain. Extolling this accomplishment, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, remarked, “The robust influx of visitors in the first quarter of 2024 signifies Dubai’s trajectory towards another exceptional performance, following last year’s record-breaking 17.15 million international visitors. This trajectory ensures the continued expansion of the tourism sector in alignment with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the objectives outlined in the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), aimed at fortifying its stature as a premier global hub for both commerce and leisure.”

Dubai’s substantial increase in international tourists during Q1 reflects the fruition of city-wide strategies across pivotal tourism pillars such as sustainability, accessibility, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Notably, the hosting of major industry events like Arab Health, Gulfood, and the Dubai International Boat Show contributed significantly to the surge in visitation. Moreover, the unveiling of prominent new hotels, including The Lana, Dorchester Collection’s inaugural Middle Eastern property, and the innovative SIRO One Za’abeel, Dubai’s premier fitness hotel, added to the city’s allure. The continuous evolution of Dubai’s offerings, catering to diverse budgets and preferences, is underpinned by world-class infrastructure, exceptional service standards, and seamless collaboration between the government and private sectors.

India’s burgeoning growth, demographic shifts and infrastructural advancements have positioned it as a pivotal source market for global tourism. In a session titled Unlocking the True Potential of Indian Travellers, key insights were shared that encompassed market opportunities, channel and distribution analyses as also the characteristics and behaviours of Indian travellers. Notably, projections for Indian outbound travel trends over the next decade were discussed, shedding light on significant preferences. Citing a report, one panellist highlighted that 59 per cent of Indian travellers favour short weekend trips, while a striking 79 per cent opt for domestic destinations over international ones. 

Among international travellers, a striking 84 per cent were first-time explorers, with Thailand, the UAE, and Singapore emerging as top destinations, prized for their proximity, favourable climate and rich cultural allure. Reflecting on the session’s impact, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME at Arabian Travel Market, underscored the significance of understanding and catering to the unique needs of Indian travellers. “This session served as a pivotal platform for fostering deeper collaboration between Middle East travel professionals and Indian travel enterprises,” Curtis remarked, highlighting the wealth of opportunities and the strategic importance of tailored marketing approaches in capturing the Indian market.

Dubai’s multifaceted strategy, meticulously crafted for over 80 markets, continues to solidify its status as a preferred destination for travellers from both established and emerging markets. From January to March, Western Europe emerged as Dubai’s primary source market, with 1.138 million arrivals, comprising 22 per cent of the overall share. South Asia closely followed with 869,000 visitors (17 per cent), while CIS and Eastern Europe contributed 817,000 arrivals (16 per cent). In regional context, the GCC and MENA regions ranked fourth and fifth, accounting for 664,000 (13 per cent) and 605,000 (12 per cent) arrivals, respectively. North-East Asia and South-East Asia jointly recorded 470,000 arrivals (9 per cent share), trailed by the Americas with 344,000 (7 per cent). Africa contributed 202,000 arrivals (4 per cent), while Australasia recorded 70,000 (1 per cent). Dubai’s tailored approach ensures sustained appeal across diverse global markets, underlining its unwavering popularity among travellers worldwide.

During the period between January and March 2024, Dubai’s hotels showcased remarkable resilience, maintaining a robust room occupancy rate of 83 per cent, a noteworthy achievement amidst a 2 per cent year-on-year increase in overall room supply, surpassing 152,000 rooms. Occupied room nights saw a 2 per cent uptick, totalling 11.2 million by the end of Q1 2024, compared to 10.98 million in 2023. Moreover, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) experienced a notable rise to AED 638 during Q1, marking a significant 5 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Concurrently, Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) surged by 4 per cent compared to the previous year, climbing from AED 504 to AED 527. These figures underscore the city hoteliers’ adeptness at maintaining competitive prices and revenue streams despite soaring occupancy levels.

By the end of March 2024, the total number of available rooms in Dubai had reached 152,162, up from 148,877 rooms in March last year, reflecting continued expansion in accommodation offerings. Additionally, the number of hotel establishments grew to 832 by the end of the first quarter, compared to 814 during the corresponding period last year. This data highlights Dubai’s dynamic hospitality landscape characterised by sustained growth and innovation across the sector.

Dubai’s hotel inventory encompasses a substantial total of 96,484 rooms spread across five-star and four-star establishments, accounting for an impressive 64 per cent share of the city’s overall hotel rooms. With average room occupancy typically ranging from 81 per cent to 84 per cent, these upscale accommodations remain in high demand among visitors. In contrast, one- to three-star hotels contribute to 19 per cent of Dubai’s hotel market, boasting 29,100 rooms and maintaining a commendable 82 per cent room occupancy rate.

Meanwhile, the hotel apartments segment continues to flourish, with a total of 26,578 keys by the end of the first quarter. Notably, this segment maintains a robust average room occupancy between 84-85 per cent, underscoring its appeal to travellers seeking extended stays and home-like comforts. Dubai’s diverse hotel offerings cater to a wide spectrum of preferences, ensuring visitors enjoy a comfortable and memorable stay, regardless of their budget or accommodation preferences.

As the UAE’s ‘Year of Sustainability’ extends into 2024, Dubai remains steadfast in its dedication to sustainability, aligning with both global and country-wide objectives. At the forefront of this initiative are Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sectors, showcasing a range of programmes and initiatives that underscore the city’s commitment to ecotourism.

Among these pioneering efforts are initiatives falling under the ‘Dubai Can’ umbrella. The widely embraced ‘Refill for Life’ campaign champions the use of reusable bottles, encouraging individuals to refill them at the city’s 50 water fountains. Since its inception, this campaign has remarkably reduced the consumption equivalent of over 18 million 500ml single-use plastic water bottles in just two years. Another notable initiative, ‘Dubai Reef’, stands as the world’s largest marine reef development project. This project aligns with Dubai’s broader efforts to bolster fish stocks and enhance marine biodiversity, reflecting the city’s proactive stance towards environmental preservation. Through such innovative endeavours, Dubai not only reinforces its commitment to sustainability but also sets a commendable example for global eco-conscious tourism practices, demonstrating that environmental stewardship and tourism growth can go hand-in-hand. 

Bridging cultures, building tourism bridges

In an exclusive conversation with BW Hotelier, Bader Ali Habib, Head of Proximity Markets, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), shared India will remain their focus on many important aspects including stopovers

Bader Ali Habib, Head of Proximity Markets, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has a special penchant for India and minces no words when he says the country is his first baby. “I keep telling people that India is my first baby and the others are my stepchildren,” he says with a smile. In Q1 2024, 687,000 Indians were hosted by DET, 12 per cent more than 2023. “In fact, of the 555 participants at ATM Mega FAM Trip, 200 were from India. It is the largest participation we have had from any one country since 2017. And when we did it, it had to be India for us,” shared Bader.

Bader added that India will remain their focus on many important aspects including stopovers, especially the luxurious ones. “As Dubai has been the gateway for the large diaspora of Indians in the US and UK, we want to ensure the travellers acknowledge Dubai as a destination where they can stop, shop, play, have fun and then go. Also, summer is the period when kids in India have vacations so we have introduced Kids Go Free campaign wherein children under 12 (up to two children) can eat, stay and play for free. We have on-boarded multiple hotels in this campaign,” he informed. 

He also drew attention towards the 16-17 long weekends this year and said, “We want to capture this segment and have more Indians coming over the weekends. With visas being issued the same day or the next day, it is much more feasible for people to come, shop and return.” Bader added that with solo travel booming, a number of Indian travellers are opting to visit Dubai. “We are also looking to promote cruise and adventure tourism in a big way,” he shared, adding that they have converted good camping and glamping sites into luxurious destinations.

Aiming to be Net Zero by 2050, Bader informed, “We launched the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Initiative last year. It mandates all our stakeholders within the ecosystem to ensure their practices comply with our Net Zero initiative and they will be thereafter ranked based on this. We also announced the Reef Project where 20,000 reefs will be put up in the ocean to support biodiversity, marine life and fish.” Not to forget that they don’t have printers in Dubai and don’t print paper.

He also shared that ATM allows them to connect with people from across the globe and is the perfect platform to showcase what Dubai is and can do. “It allows us to bring in new people from untapped global markets as well as the established ones,” Bader concluded.