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High profile line-up of regional ministers of tourism and leading industry luminaries to debate future of tourism sector in the Middle East and North Africa; agenda focus to include facilitating travel across the region, effective public-public and public-private partnerships; and an institutional framework for enhanced cross-border sector co-operation
After a one-year hiatus, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 will also once again play host to Ministers of Tourism from the MENA region at the UNWTO Ministerial Forum.
Regional industry leaders representing the different travel and hospitality sub-sectors will join participating ministers from the UAE, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco to debate ways to advance intra-regional tourism and seize the growing opportunities emerging for increased co-operation.
Taking place on Tuesday 5th May, 2015 from 1530-1800 hrs at the Al Multaqua Ballroom at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development and Chairman of the National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, the forum will open with an address by UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.
Hosted by CNN International global news anchor, Becky Anderson, who will moderate the afternoon's sessions, HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development and Chairman of the National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, will deliver national insight from a Saudi Arabia and UAE perspective.
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of ATM, will also be part of the opening session, which will lead into the ministerial-meets-tourism private sector debate.
"In the two years since the last UNWTO Forum, the region has undergone yet another shift in tourism demand and opportunity; has weathered the storms of political unrest and economic pressures; and made further significant strides in giving the green light to multi-million dollar infrastructure projects that are designed to fulfil a long-term sustainable tourism vision," said Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
"The forum agenda will cover the full spectrum of issues pertinent to the continued successful development of tourism economies across the region, including the effective development and marketing of tourism products, the promotion of travel facilitation and improved connectivity and the importance of intra-regional investment into infrastructure, facilities and services," he added.
Additional topics to be discussed by the panel include how to set effective public-public and public-private partnerships in place to advance regional co-operation and the enhancement of an institutional framework to implement, monitor and evaluate regional tourism co-operation strategies and initiatives.
"We are also thrilled to confirm a high profile line-up of public and private sector speakers, each of whom brings a wealth of industry knowledge and visionary insight to the discussion," said Press.
Participating ministers include HE Nayef H. Al-Fayez, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan; HE Lahcen Haddad, Minister of Tourism, Morocco; HE Michel Pharaon, Minister of Tourism, Lebanon; and HE Mohammed K. Al Muhairi, Director General National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, UAE.
Representing the private sector are Antoine Medawar, Vice-President MENA region, Amadeus; Amine Moukarzel, President, Golden Tulip Hotels, Suites & Resorts MENA; Hussein Dabbas, Regional Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, International Air Transport Association (IATA); and Gerald Lawless, President and CEO, Jumeirah Group.
For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2015, please log on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
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About Arabian Travel Market
In its 21st edition, Arabian Travel Market 2014, boasted more than 2,700 exhibitors and stand-sharers from 85 countries and attracted over 23,000 visitors from around the world.
www.arabiantravelmarket.com
Arabian Travel Market is part of Reed Travel Exhibition's WTM Portfolio of events, which also includes World Travel Market, World Travel Market Latin America and World Travel Market Africa.
www.wtmworld.com
WTM Portfolio
The World Travel Market Portfolio is comprised of the leading leisure travel events in the world; World Travel Market in London, WTM Latin America in Sao Paulo, WTM Africa in Cape Town and Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
The WTM Portfolio's events are attended by the global travel and tourism industry's senior executives to conduct business deals and discover the latest research, insight and opinion.
In 2014, the WTM Portfolio facilitated around $7 billion in industry deals from negotiations between the more than 15,000 buyers, 9,500 exhibitors (1,500 main stand holders and 8,000 stand sharers) in attendance of its four events.
WTM is owned by the worldʼs leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions.
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2014 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.
The YouGov Travel Oracle is an annual syndicated online study of consumer habits and attitudes towards travel and tourism. YouGov surveyed 22,686 online respondents across the MENA region between 7th August and 8th September 2014. Data is broadly representative of the population in MENA.
Media contact:
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© Press Release 2015
