The just-concluded Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai brought the global travel industry together for discussions centered on tourism growth, artificial intelligence, changing traveler expectations and the Middle East’s expanding role in international travel.
Held under the theme “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology,”the 33rd edition of ATM explored how AI, digital transformation, smart mobility, talent and investment are reshaping tourism. Industry leaders also examined how businesses can move beyond post-pandemic recovery and prepare for the sector’s next phase of growth.
MENASA outpaces global tourism growth
A major highlight was the presentation of the ATM Annual Trends Report: Middle East Momentum & Market Shifts on the Global Stageby Dave Goodger, Managing Director EMEA at Tourism Economics.
The report showed that global travel reached record levels in 2025, with international arrivals exceeding 1.5 billion for the first time. Visitor nights reached 24 billion, 16% above 2019 levels, while in-destination spending increased 26% over the same period to US$7.2 trillion.
The Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region emerged as a significant driver of this expansion. Travel volumes across MENASA in 2025 were almost 50% higher than in 2019 — about three times the rate of global growth — with the region accounting for more than half of the worldwide increase in international travel.
Although geopolitical disruption is expected to affect Middle East travel during 2026, Tourism Economics anticipates a strong rebound in 2027, forecasting international travel growth of 17% across MENASA compared with 8% globally.
The report also indicated that the tourism industry’s ability to recover from major disruptions has improved considerably. Recovery periods that took around 24 months in the early 2000s have shortened to approximately 10–12 months in recent years.
Looking further ahead, international travel across MENASA is projected to reach 316 million arrivals and 2.3 billion visitor nights by 2030, generating US$408 billion in spending.
Goodger attributed the region’s longer-term prospects to rising wealth, favourable demographics, sustained investment in tourism capacity and consumers increasingly prioritising travel experiences.
Middle East’s tourism capacity still expanding
The Travel Trends Panel: Why Travel Will Win in the Middle Eastexamined whether the region has room for further expansion.
Eddy Tannous, Chief Operating Officer of Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, pointed to Dubai’s dramatic increase in hotel capacity as evidence of the market’s evolution. Dubai had approximately 45,000 hotel keys in 2008, compared with around 160,000–170,000 today.
Rather than assessing the region only against its past performance, Tannous argued that Middle Eastern destinations should increasingly benchmark themselves against major global cities, suggesting significant potential remains for tourism development.
Tarik Fadil, Vice President of Supply at Agoda, highlighted another competitive advantage: the Middle East functions both as a destination and as a global aviation and tourism hub linking Asia, Europe and Africa.
He said greater localisation and the effective use of AI would be essential as companies seek to provide travellers from diverse markets with relevant experiences throughout the journey.
AI moves to the centre of travel
Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, featured prominently throughout ATM 2026.
Research presented at the event showed that 91% of Middle East travel businesses are either piloting or already using AI, while 85% reported measurable cost savings. Travellers considering Middle Eastern destinations also appear relatively receptive to the technology: 28% had used an AI chatbot to help plan a trip, compared with 12% among travellers interested in other regions.
The role of technology was explored further during the executive roundtable “From Rebound to Readiness: Shaping What’s Next Across the Travel Ecosystem,”presented by FUTURE& at the ATM Experience Hub.
Led by FUTURE& CEO and founder Sita Sahu, the discussion brought together executives from Miral Destinations, Khamas Hospitality, Alibaba Fliggy, Google and Visa.
Participants agreed that travellers increasingly expect seamless planning, personalisation and integrated experiences before, during and after their trips.
Anthony Nakache, Managing Director MENA at Google, said AI could help travel companies meet those expectations by supporting everything from trip planning and service delivery to post-holiday engagement.
Technology must complement people
Despite the strong emphasis on AI, industry leaders stressed that technology should enhance rather than replace the human element of tourism.
Maha Nizam, Head of GCC Marketing at Visa, described travel as fundamentally a personal and human experience. She argued that investment in technology should empower employees and businesses to provide more personalised and effective services.
Customer-centricity was another recurring theme. Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations, said decisions around revenue, products and operations ultimately need to return to one question: what does the customer want?
The discussions reflected a wider shift in the industry from concentrating primarily on recovery towards building long-term organisational readiness. Technology investment, workforce capabilities, partnerships and customer experience are increasingly being viewed as interconnected elements of competitiveness.
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE at RX Global, said the discussions and research presented at ATM demonstrated the Middle East’s long-term tourism opportunity, while giving the industry insight into changing demand and the investments likely to shape its future.
With global tourism reaching new records and MENASA expanding faster than the wider international market, ATM 2026 ultimately presented an industry preparing for a new growth cycle — one in which technology, talent, connectivity and customer experienceare expected to play defining roles.
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