Four days of discussions and presentations highlighting emerging travel trends and ambitions at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) came to a close yesterday.

Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Middle East’s leading travel and hospitality trade show is expected to have welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors, up from 46,000 last year.

Tourism boards, airlines, hotels and tech providers from across the globe, as well as ministers, executives and entrepreneurs, were in attendance.

Here’s what the experts say is in store for the future of worldwide travel.

Connectivity is at the core of the travel industry

The 32nd edition of ATM saw a diverse roster of panel talks, networking events and exhibitions spanning sectors from aviation and accommodation to wellness, hospitality and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions).

This year’s theme, “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity,” set the tone for a programme focused on how the industry can adapt to changing expectations.

Jonathan Hesty, portfolio director for RX Global, organiser of ATM, said connectivity is “hugely imperative to all of us, not just organisations and destinations, but us as travellers as well.”

“A connected industry allows people to move around the world, to experience new destinations they may never have been to before, to learn about new cultures,” he added.

“From an industry point of view, it gives a chance for people to connect to new customers, to help new people experience the delights that we have on show here at ATM this week.”

Sustainability is a cornerstone of the travel sector

One overarching topic of the week was sustainability, which Hesty described as the “cornerstone of our content programme”.

Sessions covered myriad aspects of green travel, including regenerative and responsible tourism, food waste in hospitality, and how to form a circular economy to try and minimise the carbon impact of the industry.

“We’re delighted to provide a platform for the industry to talk about it, to share and to work out strategies to reduce the carbon impacts of the industry,” said Hesty.

A spokesperson for Dubai Holding Entertainment, which operates some of Dubai’s most iconic attractions and family destinations, described sustainability as “a very important pillar of our organisation”.

“We have assets where we offer experiences to families, and we believe that it is very important to teach new generations about sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

“We have very specific programmes about energy savings and waste management. We have an amazing attraction called Green Planet that is all about nature and sustainability.”

For Cristian Stanicic, general director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, sustainable tourism is also about visitor numbers.

“We want to be focused more on less popular tourism destinations, smaller tourism destinations,” he said.

“And we want to extend our tourism season to pre- and after-season, not only in the summer season, because we want to avoid some scenarios that we’ve seen in other Mediterranean countries with overtourism.”

Technology is transforming the travel experience

Technology was highlighted as a key way to redefine the visitor experience.

Mohamed Abdallah Al-Zaabi, CEO of hotel marketing company Mirai, said AI is at the core of their development strategy for their destinations Yas Island and Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

“One of our main goals on Yas Island and Saadiyat is to create a unique and immersive experience for our customers,” he said.

“We use big data and machine learning to better understand customer behaviour, better understand our existing data, capture data, and based on that, we customise and tailor different and new experiences.”

Similarly, Dubai Holding Entertainment said technology is key to learning about customers’ interests.

The group uses AI to understand what kind of new experiences families are looking for and, therefore, where to invest.

Travel that is accessible to everyone

Discussions also centred around accessibility within the travel sector. Asam Kalbham, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, talked about how Dubai is ensuring inclusivity.

DXB International Airport has an open skies policy, he explained, and works with airlines that prioritise accessibility.

“I’m so proud to say that we have just recently been announced as the first city in the Eastern Hemisphere that is certified autism destination,” he added.

“And Emirates Airlines has got the certification as well, as well as Dubai Airport, DXP International, Expo City and other facilities.”

Kalbham emphasised that, “accessibility for us means every single person from every part of the world and all walks of life should be able to enjoy Dubai.”

In a first-of-its-kind move, Hawaii lawmakers are ready to hike a tax imposed on travellers staying in hotels, vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations. They are earmarking the new money for programs to cope with a warming planet.

State leaders say they’ll use the funds for projects like replenishing sand on eroding beaches, helping homeowners install hurricane clips on their roofs and removing invasive grasses like those that fueled the deadly wildfire that destroyed Lahaina two years ago.

A bill scheduled for House and Senate votes this week — initially scheduled for Wednesday but moved to Friday — would add an additional 0.75 per cent to the daily room rate tax starting 1 January 2026.

It’s all but certain to pass given Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers and party leaders have agreed on the measure. Gov. Josh Green has said he would sign it into law.

Officials estimate the increase to the tourist tax would generate $100 million (€88.4 million) in new revenue annually.

“We had a $13 billion (€11.5 billion) tragedy in Maui and we lost 102 people. These kind of dollars will help us prevent that next disaster,” Green said in an interview.

Green said Hawaii was the first state in the nation to do something along these lines. Andrey Yushkov, a senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organisation, said he was unaware of any other state that has set aside lodging tax revenue for the purposes of environmental protection or climate change.

How much tax will tourists pay in Hawaii?

The increase will add to what is already a relatively large duty on short-term stays.

The state’s existing 10.25 per cent tax on daily room rates would climb to 11 per cent. In addition, Hawaii’s counties each add their own 3 per cent surcharge, and the state and counties impose a combined 4.712 per cent general excise tax on goods and services, including hotel rooms.

Together, that will make for a tax rate of nearly 19 per cent.

The only large US cities that have higher cumulative state and local lodging tax rates are Omaha, Nebraska, at 20.5 per cent, and Cincinnati, at 19.3 per cent, according to a 2024 report by HVS, a global hospitality consulting firm.

The governor has long said the 10 million visitors who come to Hawaii each year should help the state’s 1.4 million residents protect the environment.

Green believes travellers will be willing to pay the increased tax because doing so will enable Hawaii to “keep the beaches perfect” and preserve favourite spots like Maui’s road to Hana and the coastline along Oahu’s North Shore.

After the Maui wildfire, Green said he heard from thousands of people across the country asking how they could help. This is a significant way they can, he said.

The hotel industry has mixed feelings

Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, which represents the state’s hotel operators, said the industry was pleased lawmakers didn’t adopt a higher increase that was initially proposed.

“I don’t think that there’s anybody in the tourism industry that says, ‘Well, let’s go out and tax more.’ No one wants to see that,” Gibson said. “But our state, at the same time, needs money.”

The silver lining, Gibson said, is that the money is supposed to beautify Hawaii’s environment. It will be worth it if that’s the case, he said.

Hawaii has long struggled to pay for the vast environmental and conservation needs of the islands, ranging from protecting coral reefs to weeding out invasive plants and making sure tourists don’t harass wildlife, such as Hawaiian monk seals. The state must also maintain a large network of trails, many of which have heavier foot traffic as more travellers choose to hike on vacation.

Two years ago, lawmakers considered requiring tourists to pay for a yearlong license or pass to visit state parks and trails. Green wanted to have all visitors pay a $50 (€44) fee to enter the state, an idea lawmakers said would violate US constitutional protections for free travel.

Boosting the lodging tax is their compromise solution, one made more urgent by the Maui wildfires.

There is a large gap in conservation funding

An advocacy group, Care for Aina Now, calculated a $561 million (€496 million) gap between Hawaii’s conservation funding needs and money spent each year.

Green acknowledged the revenue from the tax increase falls short of this, but said the state would issue bonds to leverage the money it raises.

Most of the $100 million (€88.4 million) would go toward measures that can be handled in a one-to-two-year time frame, while $10 to $15 million (€8.8 to €13.3 million) of it would pay for bonds supporting long-term infrastructure projects.

Kāwika Riley, a member of the governor’s Climate Advisory Team, pointed to the Hawaiian saying, “A stranger only for a day,” to explain the new tax. The adage means that a visitor should help with the work after the first day of being a guest.

“Nobody is saying that literally our visitors have to come here and start working for us. But what we are saying is that it’s important to be part of the solution,” Riley said. “It’s important to be part of caring for the things you love.”

Dreaming of a White Lotus-inspired holiday or hoping to take a selfie with Moo Deng, social media’s favourite pygmy hippo, in the background?

Before you jet off to Thailand, don’t forget to file your paperwork first.

Starting from 1 May, all non-Thai nationals entering the country by air, land or sea must complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before arrival.

What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card – and how do you get one?

This new arrival card replaces paper forms to streamline the immigration process and better secure Thailand’s border entry system.

The TDAC system will be synced with the immigration bureau’s biometric database, allowing officials to quickly check the criminal backgrounds of international arrivals.

Travellers must register within three days of their arrival (meaning, within three days of travelling to Thailand).

After completing your registrationonline, you will receive a QR code to present at your immigration checkpoint on arrival.

That’s it. There are no fees and no other steps. But it’s vital to remember to do it, or you will be denied entry.

From May onward, the TDAC will be mandatory for all foreign passport holders, including tourists, business travellers and long-term residents.

The only exceptions apply to travellers transiting or transferring through Thailand without passing through immigration control.

Travel to Thailand is surging – again

With its idyllic tropical scenery, addictive cuisine and legendary hospitality, Thailand long ago evolved from its Hippie Trail roots into one of the world’s top travel destinations.

In 2019, nearly 40 million visitors arrived in the country, ranking it among the ten most-visited countries globally. Despite a global lull in travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the momentum hasn’t slowed much.

In the first three months of 2025 alone, 9.5 million travellers touched down – many drawn by viral moments that spread like wildfire online.

Take Moo Deng, the hose-loving pygmy hippo whose name means “bouncy pork.” After a video of the slippery toddler splashing around at Khao Kheow Open Zoo lit up social media last year, crowds surged. The zoo, about an hour from Bangkok, smashed attendance records – and it’s still drawing thousands of daily visitors.

Then came the White Lotus effect. The newest season of the dark comedy, filmed on the sun-drenched islands of Phuket and Koh Samui, has re-ignited wanderlust among global viewers looking to holiday in high style.

According to Hotels.com, the ultra-luxury Four Seasons Koh Samui site saw a40 per cent increase in searches for property after it was announced as a filming location.

Despite anearthquake in March, travel has continued unabated to a country often called “Teflon Thailand” for its ability to bounce back from unrest and disruptions.

Whether you’re heading to Thailand to fulfil a luxury fantasy or spot its internet-famous wildlife, the first step to getting there now happens before you even leave home.

Just make sure your QR code is ready before you depart.