ACTION UAE TAKES ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET TO THE WORLD

As the PR agency for May’s Arabian Travel Market 2009, Action UAE was out in force for the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism event as the global industry turned its attention to the region – widely considered the ‘bright spot’ on an otherwise bleak international stage – to see how it would fare in light of toughening economic conditions.

And they weren’t disappointed. With more than 800 media in attendance for the four-day event, which ran from 5-8th May in Dubai, UAE, and one of the largest gatherings to date of tourism bodies, ministers and private sector companies from 69 countries, the show ended with senior industry figures predicting the region would defy the current global economic downturn to buck world-wide trends and record solid growth.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, who opened the show, said: “Travel and tourism demand in the UAE and the region remains strong. In fact the Middle East is the only region which has seen an increase in air passenger traffic in March, when every other region saw a drop. Many of the countries in this region have invested massive resources to boost their travel and tourism infrastructure.”

 
“Increasingly, international hospitality and travel brands are looking to this region as the ‘bright spot’ in the global economic downturn, and are investing here. I am confident that Dubai, the UAE, and the region as a whole, is well placed to weather the current challenges and come out even stronger,” added HH Sheikh Ahmed. 

Action, which has handled the show’s public relations since 1994, ran an intensive seven-month campaign for the 2009 edition. The agency also managed the PR requirements for a number of clients at the show including Accor Hospitality, Royal Jet, V Continents and Royal Caribbean – which made its event debut.