Over the past 30 years, the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a premier global travel event, has been calling Dubai home. The 32nd edition, the trade market event 2025, was held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28th to May 1st. The event took place under the theme: “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity.”
From AI-powered planning tools to hyper-personalized experiences, the conversations this year were bold, urgent, and incredibly future-focused.
As a digital transformation consultancy working with global brands in tourism, retail, and enterprise CRM, Tru was on the ground to capture what matters—and more importantly, what to do next.
Key Focused Areas
The travel and tourism sector isn’t just rebounding—it’s being re-architected. At Arabian Travel Market 2025, three forces dominated the conversation:
A clear shift toward intelligent digital infrastructure.
Sustainability is not a marketing lever but rather a data-backed operational priority.
Guest experience redefined by mobile-first journeys, predictive service, and AI support.
These aren’t passing trends—they’re real signals that the industry is shifting. For enterprise brands, now is the time to rethink how you engage, personalize, and operate.
More than a trade show, ATM 2025 reinforced why Dubai remains the region’s epicentre for tourism leadership—bringing together tech providers, hospitality giants, and decision-makers ready to drive what’s next.
Interesting Highlights That Defined Arabian Travel Market 2025
Our Team Tru walked the floors, joined the conversations, and caught the signals behind the headlines. From frictionless check-ins to AI-powered concierge tools, these were the standout innovations shaping tomorrow’s travel.
1. Business Travel Evolution
Companies across the Middle East are adopting new travel programs that combine business and leisure - it is called “bleisure”. Airlines and hotels are now offering packages with built-in downtime, allowing professionals to blend meetings with local culture and rest.
2. Travel Tech and Smarter Planning
Travel tech took center stage this year, with companies showcasing smarter booking tools, contactless check-ins, and AI-powered apps designed to help travelers plan faster and access 24/7 support.
At the same time, travel businesses are now using real-time dashboards and smart data tools to offer better options, like personalized packages and seamless stopover stays.
Emirates revealed that nearly half of its service traffic is now handled by AI chatbots—clear proof that automation in travel isn’t a ‘nice to have’ anymore. It’s foundational to scaling guest experience and cutting the cost per interaction.
3. Luxury Travel’s New Dimensions
Today’s travelers aren’t chasing just five-star hotels—they’re seeking luxury that’s immersive and personal. According to the Middle East Economy, the global luxury travel market is projected to grow from $239 billion in 2023 to $391 billion by 2028.
Saudi Arabia made headlines with new high-end desert tours introduced at the Arabian Travel Market 2025. These experiences combine comfort with culture, showing what modern luxury travel looks like.
4. A Truly Global Meeting
Arabian Travel Market 2025 truly went global, bringing together attendees from 161 countries. The Asia-Pacific region, with a stronger presence from countries including Japan and the Maldives, highlighted how the global travel map is expanding.
Conversations focused mainly on new air route deals, especially between the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and African/Asian markets. These partnerships are aimed at boosting connectivity and unlocking new growth opportunities for tourism and business in the years ahead.
5. Young Travelers Are Shaping the Future
The next generation of travelers, that is, Gen Z and Millennials, took center stage in this year’s event. These digital natives prefer booking via mobile, expect fast recommendations, and rely on 24/7 digital support. Markets like India, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia saw record-breaking mobile travel app downloads, signaling where the next wave of growth is coming from.
Notable Expert Insights
At Arabian Travel Market 2025, the industry’s top voices shared their perspectives, shedding light on what’s next for global tourism, technology, and transformation. Here are the key takeaways we walked away with:
• Dubai’s Vision for Global Tourism Growth
His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President as well as Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened the event with a clear message: tourism is not a side pillar, it is central to Dubai’s economic vision. His remark aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to place the city among the top 3 global hubs for business and travel.
• Business Trips Are Back in the Middle East
Catherine Logan, Regional SVP at GBTA (Global Business Travel Association), confirmed what many hoped to hear: business travel in the Middle East is gaining strong momentum, with growth projected at 6.1% for 2025. The return of face-to-face engagement is shaping demand for new tools and flexible travel models.
• Using AI for Real Business Value
In her keynote, Cassie Kozyrkov (CEO of Kozyr and former Chief Decision Scientist at Google) encouraged businesses to move past buzzwords and focus on real-world execution. The narrative focused on “AI Adoption: From Buzzwords to Business Strategy” made one thing clear that travel brands must embed AI where it drives measurable service and decision-making value.
• Keeping Ethics in Focus as Tech Advances
Robin Lawther, VP at Expedia TAAP (Travel Agent Affiliate Programme), emphasized that as digital tools evolve, so must digital responsibility. From user privacy to ethical personalization, she highlighted the need to build trust as technology scales. It is not just for today’s users, but for the future of digital experience.
Why Dubai Remains the Ideal Host
Dubai isn’t just geographically central—it’s setting the standard for the future of travel. With world-class infrastructure, smart city innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainable tourism, it continues to lead as the ideal host for events like Arabian Travel Market.
The Dubai World Trade Centre continues to offer world-class facilities. While the city’s leadership in smart city tech, luxury experiences, and green development helps set the standard for tourism destinations worldwide.
How Event Connects Tourism with Digital Solutions
One of the strongest messages from Arabian Travel Market 2025 was this: digital isn’t a layer—it’s the operating system for modern travel. From AI bookings and 24/7 chatbots to biometric boarding and real-time payments, every part of the experience is being digitized.
More importantly, an ATM 2025 serves as a bridge, connecting travel providers with the platforms, vendors, and strategies they need to compete. These aren’t just tech demos; they’re the foundation for faster service, smarter marketing, and new market entry.
Final Verdict
Arabian Travel Market 2025 showed that the future of travel is already here. Digital transformation is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s the baseline. AI tools, smart CRMs, and real-time dashboards are becoming the norm. These technologies are now essential for improving service, streamlining operations, and accelerating growth.
At Tru, we help travel brands act on these opportunities. Whether it's automation, personalization, or data-led growth, we help businesses go beyond insight and into impact.