- Affluent travellers in the Middle East are fuelling record growth in luxury tourism by seeking experiences that combine innovation, sustainability, and cultural significance
- At ATM 2026, ultra-luxury goes beyond hospitality to showcase innovations in private aviation, yachting, and lifestyle design, reflecting the blurring of lines between travel, lifestyle, and technology
- The ATM Ultra Luxury Lounge will create an exclusive environment for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals to connect with prestigious world-class travel brands
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 28 October 2025: Advanced technology, cultural authenticity and hyper-personalisation are coming together to create experiences that transcend traditional definitions of luxury. Once synonymous with comfort and exclusivity, today’s ultra-luxury offers transformation through access and meaningful experiences, blending technology, privacy and sustainability.
This evolution will be explored in detail at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 4–7 May. Under the theme ‘Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology’, the event will explore how innovation and individuality are redefining the global ultra-luxury travel landscape.
Central to this conversation will be the debut of the ATM Ultra Luxury Lounge, an exclusive space that will connect buyers that focus on ultra-high-net-worth travellers with prestigious, world-class travel brands.
Research from Fortune Business Insights indicates that the value of the global luxury travel market, characterised by premium and tailor-made experiences focused on exclusivity, luxurious comfort, personalised service, and enhanced privacy – trademarks of ultra-luxury travel – will grow from US$2.7 trillion in 2025 to US$4.8 trillion by 2032.
Reflecting these trends, the ATM Ultra Luxury Lounge marks the beginning of a multi-year focus on the evolving intersection between ultra luxury, technology, and sustainability. It will bring together leading global brands and specialists in high-end travel, including bespoke tour designers, private jet operators – a market expected to top US$943 million by 2029 according to advisory firm Creative Zone.
The dedicated space will serve as a showcase for ultra-luxury experiences, enabling suppliers to meet qualified luxury travel buyers through an exclusive appointments programme.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “While luxury travel remains one of ATM’s strongest growth pillars, ultra-luxury is emerging as the next frontier, reflecting the region’s maturing market and high-spending audience.
To meet this growing demand, we have created the ATM Ultra Luxury Lounge, an exclusive space designed to connect ultra-luxury brands with buyers serving high-net-worth travellers, elevating their ATM experience through curated, high-value networking and collaboration opportunities.
“Ambitious projects such as Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea developments, the forthcoming Cheval Blanc in Dubai, which will be located on Naïa Island, and the private island-based Bvlgari Resort & Mansions in Abu Dhabi, combined with increasing interest in private jet purchases and rentals in the region, all underscore the demand within this sector.”
In addition to a keen focus on the ultra-luxury segment, ATM 2026 will continue to shine a light on luxury hospitality brands such as Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Jumeirah International, and One & Only, as well as some of the world’s top-rated luxury destinations, such as the Maldives and Mauritius, who have become a prominent part of the growing segment amongst the hospitality brands on showcase at ATM.
According to the ATM Travel Trends Report 2025, developed in partnership with Tourism Economics, luxury travel remains robust, with high-end and experiential segments outperforming global growth.
Outbound regional luxury travel is rising at twice the global average, while Tourism Economics’ datasets show that travellers from the Middle East spend 50% more per trip than the global average, reinforcing the region’s position as both a key luxury destination and source market.
The trends that are positively impacting the sector have been outlined by luxury DMC, Experium, in their Top 10 Luxury Travel Trends Transforming the Middle East in 2025. At the core of this is sustainability, wellness, and tech-enhanced luxury, which are all reshaping the definition and consumption of luxury. Today’s travellers are moving beyond opulence to seek purpose-driven, conscious luxury that connects them with destinations, communities, and personal wellbeing.
“Luxury travel is no longer defined by opulence alone, but by purpose, connection, and transformation. Today’s discerning travellers are seeking experiences that are not only exclusive but also meaningful, journeys that enrich their wellbeing, reflect their values, and deepen their connection with the world around them. As this evolution continues, the Middle East stands at the forefront of this shift, shaping a new era of luxury that balances innovation, authenticity, and conscious design,” added Curtis.
As the region continues to elevate global travel standards, the 33rd edition of Arabian Travel Market will reinforce Dubai’s position as a hub for innovation, collaboration and investment in the future of tourism. Through features such as the Ultra Luxury Lounge, IBTM@ATM and ATM Travel Tech with its new Tech and Innovation hub, ATM 2026 will showcase how the industry is evolving to meet the needs of new traveller segments, while strengthening connections between destinations, buyers and brands that are shaping the next chapter of global travel.
The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/.
Register your interest to attend: Register for ATM updates.
Enquire to exhibit: Exhibitor Enquiry for Arabian Travel Market.
For more information, log on to wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.
About ATM
Now in its 33rd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading global platform driving growth and innovation across every sector of the travel and tourism industry. Held annually in Dubai – the gateway to global travel and tourism with its unmatched connectivity – ATM is where the energy of opportunity comes to life.
More than just an event, ATM is a dynamic hub for industry communities, featuring forums, experiences, and networking opportunities that continue well beyond the show floor throughout the week. Now in a period of rapid expansion, ATM has grown 16% year-over-year, attracting over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.
About IBTM @ ATM
IBTM @ ATM is the dedicated business events hub within Arabian Travel Market (ATM), connecting the global meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) community with the Middle East’s rapidly expanding meetings and mega events sector.
The feature brings together association planners, conference organisers, corporate buyers, and incentive agencies with destinations, venues, DMCs, and business event suppliers specialising in world-class events. With a comprehensive hosted buyer programme, targeted networking, pre-scheduled appointments, and a dedicated Business Events Stage featuring expert-led sessions, IBTM @ ATM is the essential platform for driving innovation, collaboration, and growth across the global meetings industry.
About ATM Travel Tech
ATM Travel Tech is the premier co-located technology event within Arabian Travel Market (ATM), dedicated to showcasing the groundbreaking innovations set to transform global travel by 2040.
ATM Travel Tech will feature more than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries across two dedicated halls, providing a dynamic platform for the technologies, partnerships, and ideas shaping the future of travel.
At its core, the Tech & Innovation Hub spans 850m², offering immersive demos in AI, VR and AR, robotics, fintech, and green technologies. The Future Stage will bring together global tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and futurists to discuss artificial intelligence, immersive commerce, cybersecurity, and sustainability, alongside the Start-up Pitch Battle. Evolving from ATM’s fastest-growing sector, ATM Travel Tech provides a dynamic platform driving the future of travel technology.
The next edition of ATM will take place in Dubai from 4–7 May 2026.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually.
RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America.
The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are:
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 4 to 6 November 2025 at ExCel London.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities.
In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
Next event: 14 to 16 April 2026 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
Next event: 13 to 15 April 2026 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
