From local food discoveries to event-led escapes, ATM 2027 examines what makes travellers choose a destination.
- New research finds 56% of consumers are more curious about destinations.
- Half of travellers show greater interest in local food and drink.
- ATM 2027 runs from 3 to 6 May at Dubai World Trade Centre.
- Travel technology and human expertise will shape discussions across the exhibition.
A holiday can begin with a dish someone wants to taste, a concert worth flying for or a neighbourhood they’ve seen only through a friend’s photos. For many travellers, the experience is becoming the starting point, with flights and hotels arranged around it. Arabian Travel Market 2027 will explore this shift under the theme “Travel without boundaries: Shaping global travel through experience”, bringing the conversation to Dubai from 3 to 6 May.
A plate of regional food can reveal as much about a place as its famous landmarks. The ATM Travel Trends Report 2026, produced with Tourism Economics, found that 50% of consumers are more interested in sampling local food and drink than they were two years ago. Another 40% are more interested in meeting local people. That’s a strong reason to look beyond the usual sightseeing checklist.
Curiosity about unfamiliar places is rising, too. The report found that 56% of consumers are more interested in exploring new destinations, increasing to 68% among prospective visitors to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. For Dubai-based travel businesses, the findings point towards opportunities to build itineraries around food, culture, adventure, wellness, music and sport. The experience can sell the trip.
Event calendars are also influencing where people go. Thirty per cent of consumers reported greater interest in event-related travel than two years ago, creating possibilities for destinations that can connect festivals, sporting fixtures and live entertainment with hotels, restaurants and local experiences. A ticket can be the beginning. The rest of the itinerary creates room for discovery.
Planning a trip increasingly involves digital tools, from AI-assisted recommendations to personalised itineraries, but technology is only part of the picture. ATM 2027 will examine how travel businesses can use innovation while retaining the value of local guides, hosts and human expertise. Its ATM Travel Tech event will return, showcasing technologies and innovators working on the travel experience.
The exhibition will be structured around four pillars: Experience without boundaries, Opportunity without boundaries, Innovation without boundaries and Possibility without boundaries. Discussions across the Global Stage and Future Stage, alongside the returning Experience Hub, will explore changing traveller motivations, collaboration and new commercial opportunities. There’s business behind the inspiration.
The longer-term outlook also gives the industry plenty to discuss. The report forecasts international arrivals to grow by 8% worldwide and 17% across MENASA in 2027. By 2030, global visitor nights are projected to exceed 29 billion, with spending within destinations reaching US$10 trillion.
Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 3 to 6 May 2027, ATM offers travel professionals a chance to consider how these shifts could shape products, partnerships and investment. For anyone building the next memorable trip, the central question is simple: what will make travellers choose one place over another? Register your interest in attending through the official Arabian Travel Market website.
