Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, has boosted its travel portfolio, having signed a collaboration agreement to launch Connect Middle East, India & Africa 2019.

The 2-day show will be co-located with ATM 2019 and will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on April 30 and May 1 (day 3 and 4 of ATM).

Emirates will be the official airline partner while Emaar Hospitality Group will be the official hotel partner.

Nick Pilbeam, divisional director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: "The Middle East's aviation market is forecast to grow 5 per cent annually until 2036, according to Iata. It is predicted that the sector will witness an extra 322 million passengers a year on routes to, from and within the region - with the total market size expanding to 517 million passengers over this period.

"The sector is expected to contribute nearly Dh200 billion to the UAE's economy by 2020, providing up to 750,000 jobs.

"Moreover, the aviation industry is a crucial economic pillar for Dubai, accounting for more than 27 per cent of Dubai's GDP, or $26.7 billion, according to Oxford Economics. This is expected to increase to 37.5 per cent by 2020 with a total annualised impact of $53.1 billion."

Connect Middle East, India & Africa 2019 is expected to bring together airline specialists, aviation authorities, tourism boards, airports and tour operators, as well as other travel-related industry professionals.

With up to 400 delegates, the structure of the event will include unlimited one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments, a conference programme, panel discussions and airline and industry briefings as well as an exhibition area dedicated to airports and suppliers.

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