Walsh said ATM was essential for those looking to conduct tourism business in the Middle East. Walsh said ATM was essential for those looking to conduct tourism business in the Middle East.

More than 70% of total exhibition space for Arabian Travel Market 2010 has already been contracted, considerably up over the same period last year, which organisers believed was a clear indication of the Middle East’s significance as major tourism and business powerhouse.

Reed Travel Exhibitions, the company behind Arabian Travel Market 2010, which runs May 4-7 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, said the news also underlined the industry’s determination to utilise top-tier events as a way to generate business face-to-face in a knowledge sharing environment.

Reed Travel Exhibitions group exhibition director Mark Walsh acknowledged 2009 had been “one of the toughest business environments to operate within recent memory”, but said the top shows in their field were “actively being supported by business, industry partners and governments”.

“Arabian Travel Market obviously ticks those boxes as it continues to live up to its reputation as the only place to do business for those wanting to establish and solidify their presence in the dynamic Middle East and international markets,” Walsh said.

A new feature for 2010 will be ‘Zone 8’, which provides a more relaxed area for informal networking away from the hustle and bustle of the main floor, as well as increased opportunities to interact with various destinations first hand through a series of live shows, which will serve to showcase new destinations and products.

Returning in an enhanced format will be Careers Day, which was first established in 2009 as part of the show’s “learning and knowledge delivery vision”.

Taking place on Thursday May 6, 2010, Careers Day will aim to enable meetings between exhibitors and people with a keen interest in working within the industry or developing an existing career.

Careers Day will give potential employers a chance to assess a candidate’s suitability on the spot and give candidates access to key personnel from globally-leading organisations.

Furthermore, organisers said there would be opportunities to attend workshops and seminars, covering CV construction, covering letters and interview techniques, to help improve employment chances.

In addition, Travel Agent’s Day returns for its third year in 2010. Designed to foster the latest top class travel and tourism education among travel agents, the initiative combines skills, learning, product knowledge and great competitions.

This year’s Travel Agents Day, taking place on May 6, will include industry expert debates, as well as covering aspects such as destination news and education programmes.

“Year-on-year for Arabian Travel Market, we continue to invest heavily in boosting business content on the show floor to bolster its networking and knowledge sharing opportunities. Travel Agents Day, Careers Day, the seminars and even the year-long web presence have all been put in place to achieve this, ensuring that the show is the travel and tourism industry's preferred partner for conducting Middle East business,” said Walsh.

“Arabian Travel Market is designed to ignite discussion and debate, create networking opportunities as well as educate. These themes are now more important than ever as the travel and tourism sector grows and develops to ensure its continued establishment as a key industry event.”

Visitor registration for Arabian Travel Market is now open, visit www.arabiantravelmarket.com