Key industry trends – including innovation, connectivity and customization – will be front and centre at the 32nd edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from April 28 to May 1, 2025.
Each year, ATM addresses issues reshaping the international travel landscape, and 2025 will be no exception. In line with its theme, ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, ATM 2025’s extensive conference programme and exhibition will explore how contemporary shifts in technology and traveller behaviour can both contribute to and benefit from enhanced connectivity.
Commenting on the changing face of global travel, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Connectivity through technology is obviously a key growth area in travel and tourism, but it is also about the seamless flow and interaction of people, goods and ideas, which support businesses worldwide. So, if you are looking to engage with the global trends, cultural shifts and traveller behaviors shaping the future of the tourism sector, there is no better place than ATM.”
One of the trends expected to shape the market in 2025 and beyond is so-called nostalgia travel. From remakes of 1990s films to early 2000s music acts on tour, the pull of the past is strong for the Millennial generation. Many of today’s travelers, including those from the UAE, are seeking to reconnect with their youth by recreating special trips or childhood dreams. Some are also looking to connect with their own children by sharing nostalgic experiences in familiar places, providing myriad opportunities for enterprising travel companies.
Sports and music tourism is also experiencing significant growth, with the former expected to be worth $1.33 trillion and the latter forecast to reach $13.8 billion by 2032. Fans are not only traveling more to see their favourite teams and artists but are also increasing their budgets to do so. Regional markets are already capitalizing on this trend, with Saudi Arabia welcoming 2.5 million overseas tourists across 80 international sports events in the last four years alone.
Travel to and from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to see a resurgence from 2025, with numbers of arrivals there and in the Middle East on track to exceed pre- pandemic levels by the end of next year. This trend is thanks in part to visa-free travel initiatives, digital nomad visas and the influence of popular television shows set in Asian countries, such as The White Lotus and Squid Game. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that a growing middle class in APAC will be responsible for 50 percent of global air passenger growth up to 2043. These trends are reflected by 18 percent year-on-year growth in the size of ATM Asia segment on the show floor.
Cutting-edge technology is always in sharp focus at ATM’s Travel Tech exhibition, which will welcome returning exhibitors such as Amadeus, WEGO and WebBeds in 2025. This year, delegates will explore how advances in artificial intelligence (AI), high-speed Wi-Fi and virtual reality (VR) are converging to create highly personalized, immersive in-flight viewing, entertainment and shopping experiences, enabling airlines and service providers to anticipate customer preferences and needs like never before.
Of course, connectivity is about more than just technology, as demonstrated by the number of travelers choosing to go solo in an effort to shake digital fatigue and foster face-to-face connections. Those travelling alone are not doing so only for leisure purposes, with digital nomadism a rising trend since the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Squaremouth revealed that 42 percent of travel insurance customers plan to take a solo trip this year – a trend that will be placed under the microscope at ATM 2025.
Travelers will also continue to focus on sustainable practices and responsible tourism in 2025, areas that were highlighted at ATM 2024 and which will form a key component of the content program. Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 81 percent of Millennials and 79 percent of Gen Zs think businesses should do more to enable consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions, and interest in sustainable travel is only growing. Indeed, the ecotourism market is expected to increase to $429 billion by 2028.
ATM 2025 will bring together professionals and industry leaders from the leisure, luxury, corporate, and business events (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) travel sectors, providing a platform for networking, knowledge sharing and business opportunities. In addition to the exhibition, international and regional experts will take to ATM’s Global and Future stages throughout the event to deliver an extensive conference programme.
