Q: Will you attend this year’s Arabian Travel Market?
Raji Demonte, divisional manager, United Travel LLC, Oman:Do I believe that the economic meltdown is going to cast a pall over the ATM? I certainly hope not. Will I attend? Most definitely yes! The reason is that the ATM is the definitive arena to network and do business that is more relevant to the trade in this part of the world. This year I will be looking at budget brands, given the economic climate. ATM is the perfect platform to showcase their products.
Abdulla Ismail, tours manager, Al Jarallah Travels & Tours Co, Kuwait: We will definitely be attending ATM as compared to other trade shows, ATM is particularly useful for getting products for this region.
Only people who are interested in the Middle East will attend ATM, whereas at other events you find a lot of people with no real knowledge or interest in this region.
The Middle East has its own nuances and idiosyncrasies.
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Asif Hussein, outbound manager, Al-Tayer Holidays, Dubai: We will not just attend the ATM; we will participate by having a stand at the show.
Why? Because it is a prestigious event, well recognised and the footfall for networking is good.
However, in these trying times the participants would appreciate some discounted booth prices.
Another issue that needs to be addressed with ATM is the timing of the show.
ATM can play a very vital role in initiating the travel trade to kick-start marketing the plans early.
That is possible if the ATM dates are brought forward to March or April. The domino effect will have the hoteliers, airlines and tour operators offering better deals to seal the business early.
This will then avoid the last-minute shopping, disgruntled clients and a stressful environment.
The positive aspects are business foresight, better planning, satisfied customers and happy travel agents/tour operators.
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