Taking place on April 27, the day before the official opening of ATM, the event will showcase over 30 travel and hospitality exhibitors from both regional and international destinations who will be offering a wide range of attractive travel and tourism discounts and deals for consumers attending the show.
Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, ATM, said, “In direct response to industry feedback and consumer demand, we are proud to introduce a new and exclusive consumer event to ATM 2019. Whether simply looking for a deal on the Eid break or planning a long-haul getaway, ATM Holiday Shopper is designed to offer the very best discounts and deals. Talking to the experts face to face will also allow attendees to learn about a range of emerging and unexplored destinations and activities from destinations around the world.”
Travellers today do not want to be part of the crowd, they crave new destinations to explore which offer unique experiences, personalised to their tastes and expectations, according to research published by Colliers International.
Adding to this, a study by digital payment firm Visa revealed residents in the UAE are among the world’s top spenders when they travel abroad, with an average spend of around USD2,722 during their last international trip.
The research by Visa on spending for future trips, including the booking stage as well as expenditure at their chosen destination, revealed residents from Saudi Arabia came out on top with a predicted average spend of USD4,800 on their next trip. Kuwait also featured in the top spenders, with a projected average spend of USD3,474, while travellers from the UAE plan to spend USD3,430, more than the global median which is estimated at USD2,443.
“We are increasingly seeing the majority of outbound travel from the GCC countries taking place during summer as travellers actively seek cooler climates. European countries as well as destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Thailand have been cited as some of the most popular destinations for UAE residents,” Curtis said.
