{"id":125345,"date":"2026-09-17T17:55:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/?p=125345"},"modified":"2026-09-17T17:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:55:23","slug":"industry-experts-speaking-at-atm-2026-say-accessible-seamless-visa-free-travel-could-make-asia-gcc-corridor-next-great-growth-engine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/?p=125345","title":{"rendered":"Industry experts speaking at ATM 2026 say accessible, seamless, visa-free travel could make Asia-GCC corridor next great growth engine"},"content":{"rendered":"[mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0633\u0645&#8221; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_fullwidth_menu admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0627\u0626\u0645\u0629 \u0628\u0639\u0631\u0636 \u0643\u0627\u0645\u0644&#8221; menu_id=&#8221;56&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; submenu_direction=&#8221;downwards&#8221; 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fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221; transparent_background=&#8221;off&#8221; gradient_background=&#8221;off&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; gradient_style=&#8221;horizontal&#8221; inner_shadow=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; video_hide=&#8221;off&#8221; video_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; allow_advanced_padding=&#8221;off&#8221; remove_padding=&#8221;off&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; column_paddings=&#8221;padding-0pct&#8221; column_match_heights=&#8221;off&#8221; background_leak=&#8221;off&#8221; background_leak_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_leak_size=&#8221;50&#8243; separator_top=&#8221;off&#8221; separator_bottom=&#8221;off&#8221; background_image_size=&#8221;cover&#8221; background_image_repeat=&#8221;no-repeat&#8221; background_image_position_x=&#8221;center&#8221; background_image_position_y=&#8221;center&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; animation_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; mobile_2_pr_row=&#8221;off&#8221; mobile_reverse=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_row admin_label=&#8221;\u0635\u0641&#8221;][mhc_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][\/mhc_column][mhc_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243;][mhc_text admin_label=&#8221;\u0646\u0635&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;left&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221;]\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li style=\"direction: ltr;\">Travel leaders examined the increasing importance and long-term growth potential of the Asia-GCC corridor at ATM 2026<\/li>\n<li style=\"direction: ltr;\">Number of overnight guests travelling from Asia into GCC countries reached 164.8 million in 2025, 161% growth compared to 2019<\/li>\n<li style=\"direction: ltr;\">Gulf nations have opportunity to capitalise on increasing volumes of middle-class tourists from China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\"><strong>Ain Alalam &#8211; Rashad Iskandrni<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\"><strong>17 September 2026<\/strong>: Measures to ensure accessible, seamless, visa-free experiences could turn the Asia-GCC corridor into the next great growth engine for the Middle East\u2019s travel sector, according to industry leaders speaking at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtm.com\/atm\/en-gb.html\">Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026<\/a>. The 33rd edition of ATM concludes today at Dubai World Trade Centre.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Moderated by <strong>Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director of Marketing and Communications, Dragon Trail International<\/strong>, the session featured perspectives from <strong>Shahab Abdollah Shayan, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism<\/strong>, <strong>Aaron Goldring, Senior Economist, Oxford Economics<\/strong>, <strong>Frederic Brohez, Chief Operating Officer, Pulse Hotels &amp; Resorts<\/strong>, and <strong>Waad Melliti, Senior Business Manager, World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Providing context for the panel discussion with data from Oxford Economics, Goldring said: \u201cThere were record numbers in 2025 for travel into the GCC from Asia-Pacific \u2013 nearly 165 million overnight guests. That\u2019s more than 160% higher in just six years, and we had a pandemic in the middle of that. There has been significant growth from key source markets like India, which is a huge market already and very important to the UAE. [The GCC also saw] 10% growth from China during that period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Commenting on the steps Dubai has taken to encourage and facilitate inbound travel from China, Shayan said: \u201cOne of the first things you need to consider when you want to double down on a market is accessibility, so we looked at how we could remove the barrier of visas for Chinese travellers coming into Dubai and the UAE. In 2016, we managed to actually achieve that.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">\u201cThe second point was how we could make it more seamless for Chinese travellers while they are in Dubai,\u201d Shayan added. \u201cThat was about ensuring that we have all the payment systems available to us \u2013 training the Central Bank, the malls, the suppliers and other stakeholders in the city to be able to accept Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc. So, essentially, what we\u2019ve done for Chinese travellers is take away all the big barriers that they would have when travelling anywhere else, and welcome them with just their passport and their phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Offering her perspective on the impact that visa-related reforms have had on the volumes of people travelling from the GCC to Asia \u2013 with specific reference to China \u2013 Melliti said: \u201cChina achieved complete visa-free coverage across all the GCC countries in 2018, and the numbers are extremely encouraging. In 2025, arrivals to China from the six GCC countries exceeded 150,000, representing a 100% increase compared with 2024. Arrivals from Saudi Arabia increased by around 110%, while UAE arrivals increased by 113%. These numbers reflect the extreme interest of GCC travellers in visiting and discovering China.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Speaking on evolving consumer expectations and what they mean for hospitality brands located along the Asia-GCC corridor, Brohez said: \u201cFrom an operator\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s about making sure we\u2019re creating the right product, that we\u2019re targeting it at the right customer and through the right channels. As we see travellers look for experiential holidays and vacations \u2013 from the GCC, of course, but also across Asia and the world \u2013 we are keen to bring new brands to life to reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\"><strong>Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director \u2013 UAE, RX Global<\/strong>, said:\u00a0\u201cThe Asia-GCC corridor clearly represents a huge opportunity for the travel and tourism industry. Public and private sector leaders in both regions have gone to great lengths to enable accessible, seamless, visa-free travel, and those efforts will no doubt continue paying dividends as increasing numbers of visitors look to explore and experience what the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Held under the theme <em>Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology<\/em>, ATM 2026 is examining how artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and evolving traveller expectations are influencing the future of tourism. The Global Stage will host four sessions on the show\u2019s final day, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtm.com\/atm\/en-gb\/conference-programme\/sessions-details.4798.270372.beyond-campaigns-fixing-destination-demand-systems-before-recovery-begins.html\">Beyond Campaigns: Fixing Destination Demand Systems Before Recovery Begins<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtm.com\/atm\/en-gb\/conference-programme\/sessions-details.4798.270374.driving-growth-through-accessible-travel.html\">Driving Growth Through Accessible Travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"direction: ltr;\">Now in its 33rd edition, Arabian Travel Market remains the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East, bringing together the global travel community to develop partnerships, share knowledge and explore new business opportunities across the sector.<\/p>\n[\/mhc_text][\/mhc_column][\/mhc_row][\/mhc_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0633\u0645&#8221; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_fullwidth_menu admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0627\u0626\u0645\u0629 \u0628\u0639\u0631\u0636 \u0643\u0627\u0645\u0644&#8221; menu_id=&#8221;56&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; submenu_direction=&#8221;downwards&#8221; fullwidth_menu=&#8221;off&#8221;] [\/mhc_fullwidth_menu][\/mhc_section][mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; transparent_background=&#8221;off&#8221; gradient_background=&#8221;off&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; gradient_style=&#8221;horizontal&#8221; inner_shadow=&#8221;on&#8221; parallax=&#8221;off&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; video_hide=&#8221;off&#8221; video_pause=&#8221;off&#8221; allow_advanced_padding=&#8221;on&#8221; remove_padding=&#8221;on&#8221; force_fullwidth=&#8221;off&#8221; column_paddings=&#8221;padding-0pct&#8221; column_match_heights=&#8221;off&#8221; background_leak=&#8221;off&#8221; background_leak_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_leak_size=&#8221;25&#8243; separator_top=&#8221;off&#8221; separator_bottom=&#8221;off&#8221; background_image_size=&#8221;cover&#8221; background_image_repeat=&#8221;no-repeat&#8221; background_image_position_x=&#8221;center&#8221; background_image_position_y=&#8221;center&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; animation_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; mobile_2_pr_row=&#8221;off&#8221; mobile_reverse=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221;][mhc_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243;][mhc_image admin_label=&#8221;\u0635\u0648\u0631\u0629&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ainlogo.png&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;off&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;off&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; hoverfx=&#8221;scaleup&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; image_mask=&#8221;off&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;0&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221; force_center_on_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":125343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coverage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=125345"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125346,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125345\/revisions\/125346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/125343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=125345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=125345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.makkahalyoum.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=125345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}