The annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) roadshow is set to arrive for its final leg in Riyadh tomorrow (February 18).

It will deliver a presentation at the offices of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, to Saudi participants at this year’s exhibition, which will take place from May 5 to 8 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organiser of ATM, will hold a workshop ahead of this year’s event to discuss marketing opportunities and how to showcase their proposition to ATM’s 21,000 trade visitors.

The Saudi Arabia government's investment in the travel and tourism sector is expected to increase at an average rate of four per cent to SR30.9 billion ($8.2 billion) over the next ten years, according to a 2013 Mena tourism and hospitality report by research consultancy aranca.

Mark Walsh, portfolio director, Reed, said: “The travel and tourism sector’s direct contribution to Saudi Arabian GDP is projected to increase at a CAGR of four per cent to SR83.7 billion by 2023."

The number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia is estimated to increase at an average rate of two per cent to 21.3 million over the ten-year period.

Revenues will total SR60.9 billion by 2023 – due to an increase in the number of Hajj and Umrah tourists and growth of international shopping centres.

To cope with the increasing number of visitors, the Saudi government has outlined a plan to invest more than $30 billion in its airports by 2020, including $10 billion in private investment for the sector.

The exhibitors who will be visited during the roadshow will learn about new event features including the introduction of an annual theme, with a spotlight on the luxury travel sector, besides travel technology and other key industry issues such as aviation, Expo 2020, CSR and mid-scale hotels.

Other specific travel sectors on the show floor will include shopping, career, budget, health and wellness, air and water travel.  

The exhibitors at the show can present their products and services in one-hour sessions and the ATM Live Wall, which will broadcast live streaming of interviews, panel debates and other show highlights. - TradeArabia News Service