There was a time when travel fairs were all brochures, branded pens and a brave intern in a penguin suit handing out flyers. Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 intends to retire that memory. In Dubai next May, technology steps out of the corner booth and onto centre stage with the launch of ATM Travel Tech, a fully fledged, co-located show designed to prove that the future of travel isn’t on the horizon; it’s already taxiing to the gate.
From 4–7 May 2026, ATM Travel Tech will occupy two dedicated halls at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and welcome over 180 exhibitors from 30 countries. This is a statement of intent and a timely one: the sector is moving from “nice-to-have” gadgets to platforms that reimagine how journeys are planned, bought, and experienced.
Technology moves from sideshow to strategy.
This new show grows out of years of momentum on ATM’s floor, now formalised and expanded to match the market’s acceleration. Anchored to ATM 2026’s overarching theme, “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology,” it will showcase AI-powered trip planning, immersive commerce, smart mobility, fintech, sustainability and cybersecurity — the practical tools and platforms travellers are already bumping into, often without realising.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director – ME – ATM
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, puts it plainly:
“As travel technology evolves at an unprecedented pace, we have evolved the scale, ecosystem and offering of ATM Travel Tech to a fully co-located event. Technology is no longer just a supporting element in travel; it is now central to how the entire journey is imagined, delivered, and improved. ATM Travel Tech will serve as a meeting place for the minds and technologies that are reshaping our sector and beyond.”
That’s not brochure copy; it’s a re-wiring of the industry. Search, sell, service, and loyalty are becoming a single, data-rich loop, and the players who master that loop will set the pace to 2040.
The Tech & Innovation Hub: 850m² of hands-on future
At the heart of the new show sits the Tech & Innovation Hub, an 850-square-metre immersion zone where visitors can touch, test and interrogate what’s next. Expect green technologies designed to cut operational emissions; VR/AR that lets you “walk” a route or a resort before you commit; robotics that promise to make baggage and back-of-house operations less of a lottery; and fintech that tames payments, cross-border spend and travel money without the airport exchange sting.
There will be no vapourware, no airy promises. Live demos, augmented experiences, and dedicated showcases will allow operators, destinations, and distributors to see what’s ready now and what’s one product cycle away.
The Future Stage: big ideas, tested in public
Front and centre in the Hub is the Future Stage, a 250-seat theatre set for 25+ sessions, 30+ live tech demos, and two Start-up Pitch Battles. This is where decision-makers, founders, and futurists will trade notes on immersive technology, cybersecurity, robotics, green innovation, and the business models that connect it all.
In Curtis’s words:
“The Future Stage will serve as a launchpad for ideas, ranging from practical applications of new technology to bold predictions about the future of travel. Our goal is to ignite a dialogue among creators, investors, and operators, advancing the conversation into the coming decade.”
Translation: bring your notebook. The most valuable takeaway may not be a product, but a partnership.
The market says “go”
The numbers back the move. Research and Markets estimates the global travel technology market at US$10.7 billion in 2024, on track to reach US$18.6 billion by 2033, a 6.05% CAGR that reflects sustained, compounding adoption rather than froth. Meanwhile, a recent Kaspersky survey reports that 84% of respondents plan to use AI for future travel, evidence that consumer comfort rises as tools become less visible and more useful. Put simply: travellers are ready; the industry must keep up.
The names you know – and the ones you will
ATM Travel Tech’s exhibitor list blends infrastructure heavyweights with agile innovators. Confirmed participants include Sabre, Travelport, Amadeus, HBX Group, Juniper Consulting, WebBeds, Infinios Financial Services and Travog Expense Technologies — plus hundreds of innovators and scale-ups focused on AI, automation, payments, mobility and next-gen customer experience. The breadth matters. Back-end orchestration is meeting front-end personalisation in the same halls, letting buyers assess how the pieces fit in real-world stacks.
Beyond tech: ATM’s wider ecosystem flexes
The co-located show draws strength from ATM’s broader platform, now in its 33rd year, with more than 55,000 industry professionals from 166 countries and 2,800+ exhibiting companies across the travel spectrum. In 2026, IBTM @ ATM expands to connect the global MICE community with the Middle East’s booming business events sector, while the ATM Ultra Luxury Lounge caters to high-net-worth travellers and bespoke experience providers. The net effect is a marketplace where every link in the tourism value chain, destinations, airlines, hotels, distributors, tech, media, and policymakers can meet in one week, under one roof.
Why this matters (and not just to techies)
For operators, destinations and distributors, the pivot is practical. AI is moving from pilot projects to production workloads across pricing, merchandising and service. Immersive commerce is reducing buyer hesitancy for high-consideration travel. Cybersecurity has matured from compliance to core resilience. Green innovation is inching from marketing slides into procurement lists. Fintech is finally smoothing payments across borders, channels, and currencies, the invisible plumbing that can make or break conversion.
The upshot for travellers? Fewer frictions, innovative options and experiences tuned to intent rather than guesswork. For the industry? Better yields, tighter cost control and a clearer line of sight from inspiration to repeat purchase. The trick — and the work ahead — is governance: deploying tools that respect privacy, improve accessibility and serve the long game, not just the next quarter.
Dubai’s message is unmistakable: technology isn’t hitching a ride; it’s driving the bus. Most frequent flyers will stand and applaud if the robots run the luggage carousels while they’re at it.
For more information, visit wtm.com/atm.
By Susan Ng
