Dubai sets the stage as ATM 2026 unveils future-focused travel conference agenda
New stages and formats redefine how the industry shares knowledge
DUBAI – The Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has unveiled its conference programme for 2026, setting out a multi-stage agenda designed to deliver strategic insight, industry intelligence and forward-looking debate across the global travel and tourism sector.
Taking place from 4 to 7 May at Dubai World Trade Centre, the event will bring together policymakers, researchers, innovators and practitioners to examine how travel will evolve over the next decade and beyond.
Under the theme Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology, ATM 2026 will feature a carefully curated programme of sessions spanning three dedicated stages: the Global Stage, the Future Stage and the newly rebranded Experience Stage. Together, these platforms aim to address the forces reshaping travel, from technological disruption and sustainability to inclusion, accessibility and investment.
Strategic vision
As ATM’s primary strategic forum, the Global Stage will focus on the macro trends and policy decisions influencing international travel and tourism. The programme will feature panel discussions, interviews and presentations examining how destinations, governments and businesses are responding to shifting traveller expectations, economic pressures and long-term growth priorities.
Sessions will cover a wide range of themes critical to the industry’s future competitiveness, including accessibility and inclusion, sustainability, transport and mobility, accommodation, luxury travel, destination marketing, development and investment, as well as emerging global travel trends. The agenda is designed to balance high-level analysis with practical insight, ensuring that participants gain a clear understanding of both the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector.
A strong emphasis will be placed on research-led content, with new data and analysis presented throughout the programme. Leading global market research and insight organisations, including Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, Euromonitor and GSIQ, will contribute evidence-based perspectives to support informed decision-making in an increasingly complex operating environment.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME at Arabian Travel Market, said the 2026 programme reflects a deliberate effort to strengthen ATM’s role as a knowledge-led platform for the global industry. She noted that the agenda has been designed to provide strategic direction through informed, industry-led insight, enabling decision-makers to leave with the confidence and clarity needed to act.
Research-led insight
The Global Stage will also host a dedicated Women in Travel Forum on its final day, delivered in partnership with Women in Travel CIC. The forum will provide a focused platform to address accessibility, equity, inclusion and leadership across the travel and tourism ecosystem.
Discussions will explore how destinations, businesses and policymakers can design more inclusive travel experiences, remove barriers for underrepresented groups and embed accessibility into tourism planning and product development. The agenda will also highlight the role of diverse leadership and representation in driving innovation, improving standards and supporting sustainable growth across the sector.
By integrating the forum into its main strategic programme, ATM 2026 aims to position inclusion not as a standalone topic, but as a core driver of long-term resilience and competitiveness for the global travel industry.
Focus on technology
Reflecting the full debut of ATM Travel Tech as a co-located show, the Future Stage will be positioned at the heart of the Tech and Innovation Hub. This immersive area will showcase the technologies transforming how journeys are planned, delivered and experienced, with a particular focus on solutions that are reshaping the entire travel ecosystem.
Across four days, the Future Stage will explore trends and breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence and automation, data and digital transformation, fintech, immersive technologies, robotics, disruptor business models and next-generation travel platforms. Sessions will be led by companies including Dragon Trail and Videc, offering insight into how innovation is influencing everything from distribution and personalisation to operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Set within a purpose-built 250-seat theatre, the Future Stage will provide a forward-looking agenda focused on opportunity, adaptation and responsible innovation. The aim is to help industry stakeholders understand what is coming next, how emerging technologies can be applied in real-world contexts and what skills and strategies will be required to remain competitive in the years ahead.
Business events
Announced for 2026, the Experience Stage represents a significant evolution of the former Business Events Stage at IBTM @ ATM. The rebranded platform will place a stronger emphasis on growth across business events, corporate travel and experiential design, highlighting the Middle East’s rising profile as a global hub for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
Supported by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which returns as the Official Business Events Partner, the Experience Stage will examine leadership, event technology, innovative formats and the future of impactful, inclusive and sustainable events. The programme will also provide practical strategies for planners, destinations and suppliers operating in this high-growth segment of the industry.
By broadening the scope of the stage, ATM 2026 aims to reflect the evolving nature of business events, where experience design, technology integration and sustainability are increasingly central to delivering value for organisers and delegates alike.
Interactive formats
Across all three stages, ATM 2026 will place greater emphasis on interactive and intimate formats designed to encourage deeper engagement and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. The programme will include exclusive roundtable discussions, the introduction of Lunch ‘n Learn sessions and expanded Meet the Speaker opportunities, allowing delegates to connect directly with industry experts.
A new partnership with Vox Technologies will also enhance accessibility and participation, with headset devices enabling real-time translation of sessions. This initiative is expected to support more inclusive dialogue and enable a broader range of attendees to engage fully with the conference content.
Curtis added that the expanded scope, redefined stages and renewed focus on inclusion, innovation and evidence-based insight underscore ATM’s position as the region’s leading knowledge platform for travel and tourism. She highlighted that by covering every major industry vertical and grounding the agenda in research and real-world scenarios, the event is designed to empower the sector to make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
Arabian Travel Market
Now in its 33rd year, Arabian Travel Market continues to play a central role in driving growth and innovation across the global travel and tourism industry. Held annually in Dubai, a city recognised for its connectivity and role as a gateway to global travel, ATM has evolved into a dynamic hub for industry communities.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the event features a wide range of forums, experiences and networking opportunities that extend throughout the week. ATM is currently in a period of rapid expansion, having grown 16% year-on-year and attracting more than 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.
Registration is now open for ATM 2026, with separate options available for media, visitors and exhibitors.