Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Anticipates 19 Million Theme Park Visitors to the UAE by 2020

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Business Events | December 1, 2016 | News

Arabian Travel Market UAE IMG Worlds of Adventure

The UAE’s existing and new generation theme parks will attract more than 19 million admissions a year by 2020 if current trends continue, according to data released by Colliers International ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2017. Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will take place from April 24-27, 2017

The prediction is made using existing admissions and arrivals data for Yas Island’s Ferrari World and Waterworld, and Dubai’s Aquaventure and Wild Wadi as well as a sample of new and upcoming parks. All four parks have experienced a strong correlation between the rising number of visitors to the UAE and its admissions, with their combined admissions predicted to reach 19 million visitors annually.

Similar patterns are expected to be seen for IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts, which opened this year in Dubai. Both parks have ambitions to draw in millions of visitors in their first year of operations, with IMG expecting to attract 4.5 million people and Dubai Parks and Resorts predicting 6.7 million ticketed visitors.

Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Dubai has a unique chance to replicate the success we have seen in other markets such as Orlando, Singapore and Tokyo, attracting new arrivals while also capturing a share of both the stop over and direct tourism markets. Theme parks are a new addition to the tourism landscape here in the GCC and it’s important that destinations are positioned to take full advantage of the benefits they can bring.”

The predictions were published in a report titled Theme Park Tourism, by Colliers International, and released to coincide with the openings of Dubai’s IMG Worlds of Adventure and Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR).

IMG and DPR will be exhibiting at ATM, with IMG taking a stand 74% larger than in 2016. Yas Island and Ferrari World will also be exhibiting at ATM.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2016 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, agreeing deals worth US$2.5bn over the four days. The 24th edition of ATM will showcase over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre, making it the largest ATM in its 24-year history. ATM is part of Reed Travel Exhibition’s World Travel Market events, which also includes WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.