Arabian Travel Market 2009 ad-Minister-ing a plan for recovery

With some of the highest GDP per capita figures in the world, the Middle East - still the world's fastest growing tourism market - has been less affected by the global economic downtown than many of its Western and Far Eastern counterparts, leading many tourism chiefs to earmark the travel-savvy regional sector as the one to watch over the coming years.

In addition, with the region's legacy carriers, Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, expecting to open up more than 15 airlinks to new markets throughout 2009, and with the launch and expansion of a number of Middle East-based low cost carriers, the regional population has more travel options than ever before.

The Chairman of Thailand's Tourism Authority, Weerasak Kowsura, who attended Arabian Travel Market, which runs till May 8th in Dubai, said: "Our number of inbound guests from the Middle East continues to grow, which is offsetting drops we are seeing in other areas; it is important we focus our efforts on areas where growth is forecasted."

He went on to illustrate that inbound tourists from the GCC continued to grow year-on-year; with 464,486 region-based travellers visiting Thailand, up 8.85% on the 426,721 who made the journey in 2007.

And the Kenyan Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Najib Balala, who was also in attendance, added: "In the last year we have seen an expansion in the number of scheduled flights from the Middle East to Kenya, and with the support of our close UAE travel trade partners we are happy to report an increase in the number of visitors from the UAE. The Middle East is an important travel market for Kenya, and one which we are ready to develop further."

Arabian Travel Market 2009 has seen delegations, led by senior government Ministers, from a host of international and Middle East nations and states, including Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Kuwait, Spain, Indonesia, Jordan, South Africa, Argentina, Romania, India, Morocco, Greece, Thailand, the Philippines and Nepal.

Reed Travel Exhibitions, which organises the show, believes the increase in high-level delegations this year is testament to governments' willingness to throw support behind leading events to help facilitate the global sector's recovery.

"We've received huge support from government bodies across the world for this year's event, which speaks volumes about how the industry is looking to shore up its longer-term tourism propositions and explore new avenues to increase inbound and outbound tourism," said Mark Walsh, Reed Travel Exhibitions' Group Exhibition Director.

"As well as promoting their offerings, these participants are using the show as a platform to discuss how critical issues and trends are impacting the global tourism industry at large and their destination's individual strategies. There is very much a feeling of enhanced co-operation this year, both on regional and international levels. We live in a globalised world, and to combat issues which affect us all, such as the economic climate and health, we have to work as one, not as individuals."

Arabian Travel Market 2009 opened this week at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre with one of its largest ever showings in its 16 history.

With more than 2,100 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 countries, including 70 new-to-market representatives, the show saw steady overall space uptake by nearly 60 national tourist bodies representing six continents, including debutants from the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Romania and Nigeria, as well as first-time representation from the Ecuadorian, Slovenian and San Marino private sectors.

The four-day event also had increased space uptake from a number of destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Thailand, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius and Kenya.

In addition, a host of first-time exhibiting countries, such as Romania and Cambodia, as well as regional and international carriers including Swiss Airlines, Jazeera Airways and Wataniya Airways, who all made their debuts, also made significant space commitments for 2009.

Arabian Travel Market is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and under the auspices of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai.