ATM Virtual : Air travel could come back at a ‘staggering rate’ by end of this year
Travel Biz News —
Middle East’s largest travel and tourism showcase, Arabian Travel Market Virtual, kicked off today in Dubai. The theme of the ATM Virtual is ‘A new dawn for travel & tourism’.
The three-day event, specifically designed for industry professionals unable to attend just concluded in-person ATM event, began with Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, who gave a candid outlook about the recovery of the aviation industry.
During a virtual conversation with top aviation consultant, John Strickland, who conducted the interview from London, Sir Tim initially gave his opinion on the recovery timescale of the aviation sector.
“The ideal situation is that the vaccine programme beats the virus by Autumn of this year and we get some relief then demand will come back at a staggering rate. Low cost (airlines) will benefit from intra-European travel, the US domestic market, China’s domestic market and international travel will (also) return in large numbers,” said Sir Tim.
“But the problem (with this scenario) will be twofold. The ability of airlines to meet the demand when it comes and two, the conditionality of country access requirements,” he added.
“Business travel will return in absolute terms, but segments will change. Airlines will have to adapt to the changing nature of demand. An a la carte menu for business class which allows you to pick and choose products at various price points that go with it, is a smart idea,” he said.
Likewise, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh shed light on how IATA needed to drive the engagement and consistency of approach to permit airlines to begin the process of recovery.
Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit also returned virtually to take an exclusive look at the future of Saudi’s hotel landscape. With the long-term tourism outlook more bullish than ever, hotel industry heavyweights including Accor’s TIMEA CEO Mark Willis, Hassan Ahdab, President of Hotels Operations for Dur Hospitality, and Christopher Lund, Director, Head of Hotels, MENA Region, Colliers International, discussed the vast potential for new and innovative hospitality concepts that could keep pace with demand from fast-changing guest demographics.
The ATM Hotel Industry Summit will examine hospitality trends such as wellness and sustainability at ATM Virtual 2021.
The Middle East Tourism Investment Summit organised by ITIC in partnership with Arabian Travel Market 2021 will also take place virtually on 27 May. – ( With inputs from ATM )
May 24 , 2021
