ZAWIYA: Ministers and tourism leaders will discuss the future of tourism at ATM 2026

Author: Staff Writer

Government ministers, politicians and senior travel executives will gather in Dubai next week for the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, where the global travel industry explores the forces shaping the future of travel. The 33rd edition will take place from 14 to 17 September at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).

The event will feature more than 210 speakers from government and the private sector on the Global Stage, Future Stage and Experience Center. More than 80 sessions will address key industry issues including sustainability, international collaboration, artificial intelligence (AI), aviation and communications, hospitality, changing traveler behaviour, investment, sustainability and business events.

The Global Stage program will open on September 14 with a UN Tourism welcome speech from Sheikha Al Nuwais, followed by a speech by Abdullah Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism.

The opening day will also feature a ministerial debate: creating a sustainable industry through collaboration.

The session will examine how GCC countries can strengthen traveler confidence, enhance global competitiveness and support long-term tourism growth through coordinated destination messaging, crisis communication and policy cooperation.

The group will include A Al Marri; Al Nuwais; Fatima Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism of Bahrain; and Apostolos Tsitsikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director for RX Global in the UAE, said: “We are delighted to bring together such a high-caliber panel for this year’s conference programme, from UN Tourism and government ministers to senior executives and experts from across the international travel industry. The breadth of experience at our stages reflects the issues that matter most to the sector today, from traveler resilience and confidence to artificial intelligence, connectivity, investment, changing consumer behavior and the future workforce.

“By combining senior management perspectives with research, market insight and practical discussions, we want the program to provide participants with valuable information they can use in their businesses, while creating an important forum for the industry to share ideas and explore opportunities shaping the future of travel.”

Research and market analysis will feature prominently, with Euromonitor International examining inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and changing consumer priorities.

Tourism Economics will also present its annual ATM trends report, which will focus on travel demand in the Middle East and opportunities in emerging markets.

Technology will be the focus of ATM Travel Tech and will make its full debut at the same time as the event. The Stage of the Future will explore artificial intelligence, fintech, digital distribution and connected platforms, and the Technology and Innovation Demonstration Center will feature over 15 interactive demos.

Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, Director General of AI at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), will open the Future Phase with a session on the impact of artificial intelligence on tourism infrastructure, policies and ecosystems.

Technology leaders from Trip.com, Wego, MakeMyTrip, Saber, Tripadvisor, Visa and more will discuss artificial intelligence, online travel platforms, digital discovery and the evolving travel supply chain.

The experience center will focus on business events, corporate travel, sustainability and industry networking.

Organizations such as ICCA, IAPCO, GBTA and SITE will be leading discussions on meetings, incentives and changing corporate travel priorities.

The ICCA session, “Beyond Borders: The Middle East’s Shared Vision for the Future of Global Business Events,” will explore how business events can drive investment, talent development and knowledge sharing in the region.

ATM 2026 is expected to provide a platform for the international tourism community to share market information, develop partnerships and explore opportunities shaping the next phase of global tourism.

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