ATM 2012 was opened by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, with Reed Travel Exhibitions portfolio director Mark Walsh to his left. ATM 2012 was opened by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, with Reed Travel Exhibitions portfolio director Mark Walsh to his left.

You’ve partnered with Google for the first time; what does this entail?
For the first time ever, internet giant Google will sponsor the Technology Theatre as part of the newly-launched Digital Technology Day on the third day of the show. Google will be using the Technology Theatre to share insights of the travel industry and technology under the umbrella theme of “Think Travel”.

This is a first for ATM and the regional travel and tourism community. Our partnership with Google will not only deliver up-to-the-minute industry data, but will showcase how technology plays an integral role in the travel industry — whether it’s searching for ideas or booking vacations or sharing their experience through social platforms.

Google’s Gulf regional manager Mohamad Mourad and Marie de Ducla, travel industry manager for Google in MENA, will be on hand to share the findings of a Google-commissioned research study conducted by IPSOS. The study will reveal the results of how travellers in MENA make decisions when it comes to searching, deciding, and purchasing.

Story continues below
Advertisement

The data is greatly anticipated, following the results of an October 2012 study by Travelport entitled Assessing the Online Travel Opportunity: The Middle East, which revealed that a shift in the attitude of the region’s travellers to online booking channels has seen bookings grow by almost a third in 2012 to reach just under US $10.4 billion, up 31% on 2011 figures.

In 2011 alone, there was a 39% rise in online bookings in the region, and we are witnessing a paradigm shift from dependence on traditional booking channels to online services as the Middle East traveller becomes more confident using the internet as a convenient, reliable and credible resource.

Article continues on next page ...