The 2025 Arabian Travel Market has concluded this week. Welcoming more than 55,000 industry professionals from 166 countries, this marked a 16% increase from last year’s event.

The event saw significant growth across all show verticals, with notable increases in participation from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa. ATM Travel Tech grew by 26%, and the hotel segment experienced a 12% year-on-year growth. The ATM Conference featured 70+ sessions and insights from more than 200 speakers.

If you’ve missed out on the week’s events, catch up on all the action here:

ATM 2025 special report: Day 1
ATM 2025 special report: Day 2
ATM 2025 special report: Day 3

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Noteworthy news from the floor on Day 4

Miral reports impressive visitation figures, launches Project Joy campaign

Miral has announced impressive visitation numbers for 2024 across Yas Island and Saadiyat Island. Yas Island recorded over 38 million visits, a 10% increase from 2023, with hotel occupancy reaching 82% and a 9% annual growth in hotel occupancy. The destination also saw a 20% rise in visitation to its theme parks and CLYMB, with significant growth in visits (+56% from GCC countries, +44% from India, +81% from China, and +40% from the UK). Additionally, Yas Island experienced a 10% attendance increase for its consumer events, with notable performances from world-class concerts and musicals. Similarly, Saadiyat Island saw a 10% visitation growth across its hotels and museums compared to 2023.

In line with its success, Miral has launched “Project Joy,” a campaign aimed at spreading joy and positivity among visitors, the community, and partners. The campaign highlights Miral’s vision to create lasting memories and experiences that unite and inspire people. With several exciting developments in the pipeline, including the expansion of Yas Waterworld and the development of the Yas Island Metaverse, Miral is committed to delivering unforgettable experiences and contributing to Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a leading global destination. The company’s efforts aim to support Abu Dhabi’s tourism strategy, attracting 39.3 million visitors and creating 178,000 new jobs by 2030.

DCT Abu Dhabi explands global reach

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed strategic partnerships at Arabian Travel Market 2025 to drive tourism growth. The partnerships, in support of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aiming for 39.3 million visitors by 2030, include collaborations with:

• Loop Leisure for a luxury travel event
• Almosafer and Flyin to promote Abu Dhabi to Saudi travelers
• Rehlat, TBO and Holiday Tribe to increase bookings
• Expedia for a “Sunshine Pass” campaign showcasing Abu Dhabi’s year-round appeal
• Rotana Hotels to drive direct bookings
• Fazaa and DMC Arabia to enhance domestic visitor experiences

Emirates’ 40 new partnerships

Emirates’ presence at ATM 2025 was its busiest ever, with nearly 40 partnerships signed, including tourism boards, technology partners, cruise line companies, airlines, and rail operators. The airline also conducted its first-ever destination workshops for trade industry partners, in partnership with seven tourism boards, and wrapped up an intensive agenda featuring over 600 industry meetings and strategic networking sessions. On the final day of ATM 2025, the airline also strengthened its strategic partnership with MSC Cruises, exploring opportunities for joint growth, enhancing the air-sea traveler experience, and supporting Dubai’s cruise ambitions, and signed four new MoUs with the Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft in Madagascar, Sun Group in Vietnam, the Greek Ministry of Tourism, and Fjord Norway. Finally, as the airline embarks on its next era of growth and global expansion, they will be welcoming 1,500+ new pilots within the next two years.

Riyadh Air forges global partnerships

At ATM, Riyadh Air signed 11 agreements with strategic partners spanning over 125 countries. With the aim to boost the airline’s brand visibility and promote its diverse range of flight services and products, the collaborations with these industry leaders, including DNATA, Amadeus, and Loyalty Juggernaut, will deliver exceptional travel experiences, leveraging technologies like AI-driven personalisation and dynamic pricing. The partnerships will help establish Riyadh Air as a major player globally, showcasing Saudi Arabia’s renowned hospitality.

Qatar Tourism shines

Through a 600 sqm pavilion, Qatar highlighted its diverse tourism offerings, including traditional cultural experiences and innovative digital activations. At the event, Qatar Tourism and Visit Qatar formed partnerships with:

1. Celestyal Cruises to deploy two ships and bring over 40,000 visitors to Doha.
2. Huawei to develop data-driven marketing strategies.
3. flynas to enhance air connectivity between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
4. Satguru Travel to expand Qatar’s presence in African markets.
5. Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi for a twin-centre holiday initiative.

Qatar’s pavilion also won the Sustainability award for its eco-friendly design.

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In case you missed it …

• Saudi Tourism Authority facilitates 52 agreements between Saudi partners and international tourism businesses and 14 MoU’s during ATM.
• Visitor spend up 162% thanks to religious tourism in Makkah during Ramadan. 
• Middle East for Nile Cruisers and Hilton announce one-of-a-kind Nile River experience combining Waldorf Astoria experiences to Africa’s most renowned river.
• AlUla partners with Almosafer Activities to become their ticket reseller in KSA.
• Saudi Arabia to streamline Hajj using integrated AI and smart devices to improve procedures and enhance security.
• 16 hotels and resorts in Oman were certified under the Hotel Sustainability Basics program this week. 
• Sharjah’s hotel guest number rises to 1.6 million in 2024 (up 11% YoY).
• DCT Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways celebrate 25,000 bookings for the Stopover Programme in the first four months of 2025 reflecting a 47% sales’ growth compared to 2024. 
• ntam launches the world’s first AI travel influencer in MENA (Tala) capable of promoting destinations. 
• $5.5 billion, 80-story Trump International Hotel & Tower coming to Dubai.