Mubasher: The Middle East’s travel and tourism industry is projected to witness a 22% increase in its spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology by 2022, according to data published ahead of the inaugural edition of Travel Forward.
Colliers International expects the Middle East online travel and hospitality market to beat the global market by 17% during the coming three years, recording $100 billion worth of annual sales by 2022, according to a recent press release by Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
Such outpace is attributed to the continuous technological advances, as well as the launch of new concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Virtual Reality (VR), and IoT.
In this regard, the Middle East’s exhibition director, Arabian Travel Market, Danielle Curtis, said, ‘’Travel, tourism and hospitality are at the very forefront of tech innovation with many organisations investing huge sums of money to gain competitive advantage, while improving the customer journey and overall experience.’’
She further stressed that the Travel Forward event will ‘’showcase the very latest innovations from some of the brightest minds in the travel and tourism industry, allowing delegates to test new technologies and applications that could help them boost efficiency and transform their operations.’’
Hosting high-profile keynote speakers and experts, the Travel Forward event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 19 to 22 April 2020, alongside the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020.
The event will connect buyers and suppliers from across the Middle East and beyond, facilitating face-to-face interviews and business opportunities.
Through Startup Competition, ‘’a six-minute visionary pitch’’ opportunity will be offered to suppliers to talk about their latest innovations in front of a panel of judges.
“The launch of Travel Forward at ATM 2020 not only confirms our commitment to continuously innovating our offering for all industry stakeholders, but also provides a platform for the industry to come together to take advantage of technological advances and stay at the forefront of innovation,” Curtis concluded.
‘’ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed almost 40,000 people to its 2019 event with representation from 150 countries. With over 100 exhibitors making their debut, ATM 2019 showcased the largest ever exhibition from Asia,’’ the press release said.
