Arabian Travel Market 2026 puts AI and travel tech at the centre of tourism’s future

Arabian Travel Market 2026 will return to Dubai next week with a stronger focus on artificial intelligence, digital transformation and the technologies reshaping global tourism.

The event, taking place from September 14 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Center, will be held under the theme Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.

Now in its 33rd edition, ATM will bring together destinations, airlines, hotel groups, travel technology companies, tourism authorities, and other industry stakeholders at a time when the sector is navigating economic uncertainty, changing traveler expectations, and rapid technological change.

Organizer RX Global said this year’s event will place particular emphasis on confidence, resilience and collaboration, while examining how technologies including AI, smart mobility and immersive platforms could influence the future of travel.

One of the biggest additions is the launch of ATM Travel Tech, a dedicated co-located exhibition focused on technology. More than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries are expected to participate across two halls, while the Tech & Innovation Hub will feature developments in AI, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, fintech and green technologies.

The wider conference program will span the Global Stage, Future Stage and Experience Hub, with sessions covering artificial intelligence, aviation, hospitality, destination resilience, luxury travel, accessibility, sustainability and investment.

Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE at RX Global, said the event is returning at a time when the global travel industry is adapting quickly to changing conditions.

“ATM has always been about bringing the global travel community together, and this year that role feels particularly important,” she said, adding that the focus will be on strengthening partnerships while addressing immediate industry priorities and longer-term opportunities.

Dubai tourism officials are also positioning the event as part of the emirate’s wider ambition to reinforce its status as a global business and leisure hub.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said platforms such as ATM are important to strengthening international partnerships and accelerating innovation across the visitor economy.

The event also comes as the Middle East continues to invest heavily in tourism, hospitality and connectivity.

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director for India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the next stage for the region would be to convert those investments into sustainable, long-term demand.

That shift, he said, will increasingly depend on using technology and data to understand travelers better, reduce friction across the guest journey and deliver more relevant experiences.

Emirates, meanwhile, said it will use ATM to deepen tourism partnerships and explore opportunities across specialized traveler segments, while Al Rais Travel plans to launch a new digital platform featuring Voice AI and Chat AI tools designed to make trip planning more personalized.

Sabre, which joins as a strategic partner for ATM Travel Tech, also highlighted the need for travel companies to balance current geopolitical and economic uncertainty with emerging technological opportunities.

The technology focus comes as ATM continues to expand. According to the organizers, the event has grown 16% year-on-year and now attracts more than 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

With AI, automation, and digital platforms increasingly shaping how travelers search, book, and experience trips, ATM 2026 is positioning technology not as a side theme but as a central part of how the global tourism industry plans for its next phase.