Vervotech had the opportunity to attend Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition, from May 9-12, 2022. We were a first-time exhibitor at ATM Dubai 2022 and the four-day event was packed with attendees, clients, and partners. We had one of the best events- filled with high energy, enthusiasm, and positivity. ATM Dubai took place at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) in collaboration with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The 29th edition of ATM hosted around 1500 exhibitors from 112 global destinations and the theme this year was ‘the future of international travel and tourism.’
Marvel Puri, Co-founder and CRO of Vervotech, shares his insights from the four-day event.
Q: What was the highlight at ATM Dubai?
Marvel: Sustainable initiatives and responsible tourism. We saw a few travel companies launching their sustainable initiatives with an initiative to make the world a greener and better place. One that caught our attention was the Turkish Airlines of use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that is produced from raw materials free from harmful metals and reduces emissions by 87%. The main takeaway was that the travel industry wants to be more socially and environmentally responsible. The industry leaders are getting serious about climate change and are chalking out a net-zero carbon emission plan.
Q: During your conversation with attendees what are the challenges with respect to technology?
Marvel: Technology migration needs constant support. Talks from ATM attendees revealed that there are still challenges in travel technology platform migration. There is a need for knowledge sharing to bridge the gap between user adoption of new technology and smooth migration. It is inevitable for enterprises not to use technology, but travel tech providers need to offer constant support to their clients for a smooth transition.
Q: What technology was trending at ATM Dubai?
Marvel: Bitcoin, crypto payments, blockchain, and NFTs were reserved for art and e-commerce, but we see its growing interest in the travel business. At the ATM event, we saw Emirates, a Dubai-based airline, plan to accept Bitcoin payments and release NFTs to be traded on their website. These initiatives reflect how the travel industry progresses towards digital transformation by adopting the latest digital technologies.
Q: Any other thing that stood out for you in ATM?
Marvel: For the last couple of years, influencer marketing has been flourishing. According to research, 42% of consumers purchase after seeing an influencer post about it. This was highlighted in ATM by different influencer platforms. I came to know that there are various influencer marketing platforms that help brands connect, partner and collaborate with influencers to increase their customer base and sales.
Also, at one of the sessions hosted by ATM, there was a buzz of gastronomic tourism or gastro-tourism. There has been a surge in gastro tourists, where travelers plan their trips around food and where they want to dine. There is a demand for unique dining experiences and travel agencies can tap this opportunity and design holiday packages around food destinations to target the gastro tourists.
Q: Any suggestions for the travel business?
Marvel: I think travel is already recovering very well after Covid. Companies were patient and now they are seeing good traction for their business. They just need to constantly think about one thing – Staying on top of their customer’s minds. The industry should make sure that processes are smooth for reopening and that adequate assistance is available for their customers to help them adapt to new ways of traveling. And most importantly, they should invest smartly and innovatively in technology to streamline their business operations and customer engagement.
In-person events have a tremendous impact in comparison to virtual events. After two years, the travel fraternity came together to make this event successful, and the vibe of ATM 2022 was positive and energetic. ATM Dubai’s in-person event helped create meaningful relationships with our clients and partners. The one thing we take back is the zeal to work on our products and keep delivering the best to our customers and their preferences.
About Vervotech:
Vervotech is a leading Hotel Mapping and Room Mapping API that leverages the power of AI and ML to quickly and accurately identify each property listing through the verification of multiple parameters. With one of the industry’s best coverage of 98% and an accuracy of 99.999%, Vervotech is quickly becoming the mapping software of choice for all leading global companies operating in the travel and hospitality industry. To learn more about Vervotech and the ways it can enhance your business in the long run contact us: sales@vervotech.com
