Lessons from the Arabian Travel Market
A pharaoh eagle-owl named Shamsa flicked her amber eyes upwards towards the rafters of the Sheikh Saeed Hall 3 in the Dubai Convention Centre. Had she spotted a rogue dove or a gate-crashing white-eared bulbul hiding from the oppressive heat outside? Whatever she had seen, the bird from Al Ain Zoo was, for the briefest of moments, the only thing that was motionless at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which concluded yesterday. Amid the 2,800 exhibitors and 55,000 visitors – from tourism boards and destination marketers to hotel groups, airlines and delegations from 166 nations – there were retinues of basket weavers, oud players and Malaysian dancers. Here are some of the things that Monocle learned at (and beyond) the fair:
Next stop: Future Street?
The UAE literally changes faster than satnavs and apps can track. Old place names reveal past priorities. One busy thoroughfare – already once re-named Happiness Street and moved – has now been re-dubbed Al Mustaqbal (“Future Street”). That’s one way to signal the nation’s direction of travel, I suppose.
Viva Ras Vegas?
Less well-known Emirates such as Ras Al-Khaimah have plenty to offer. Sometimes, their appeal lies in the fact that they are exactly what more boisterous neighbours such as Dubai aren’t: think a quieter coastline, closeness to nature and mountain views. That said, Ras Al-Khaimah’s plans to open a casino are a gamble that many are watching closely.
Away with the tides
The word “old” can feel like an overstatement in a city as young as Dubai (its first high-rise landed in the late 1970s) but there’s a growing sense that some things need to be preserved for posterity. An anonymous photography project started in 2021 is chronicling details of traditional villas and abandoned sites along its coastal residential stretch. “Goodbye Old Jumeirah” shows what is lost when we move fast.
A new chapter for UAE publishing?
Japanese bookseller Kinokinoya in Dubai Mall is, forgive the cliché, an oasis in what’s otherwise a desert for print and newsstands. The vast space is piled high with hard-to-find books and excellent magazines, Monocle and Konfekt included. Doesn’t the absence of a homegrown alternative present an opportunity for a great UAE firm to take the lead with a great bookshop brand and kiosk concept?
Trump this
Potus progeny Eric Trump was in town on Tuesday to mark the inauguration of two new Trump-branded towers with developer Dar Global in Dubai (see you in the 2030s). Will they one day house casinos too? Don’t bet against it.
Think of the children
Abu Dhabi’s summer campaign is all about children and what they make of the Emirate. A trip to the new Teamlab Phenomena museum on Saadiyat Island with our publisher, Luke, confirmed some suspicions: it takes a mature destination to confidently market to kids. The museum is also genuinely wonderful. Go. It’s a hoot.
Forever changes
There’s an article in Gulf News showcasing exhibitions from previous iterations of the Arabian Travel Market from the past three decades. Some a little dated, the pictures reveal the rapid progress and increasing sophistication of Dubai’s brand and how the city has evolved from hopeful beach resort to booming business hub. But I do wonder whether we’ll look back and ask: was it really necessary to drag that poor eagle-owl into the conference hall? The Emirates are turning heads without it.
Fehnert is Monocle’s editor. For more on-the-ground reporting and comment, subscribe today.
