Arabian Travel Market expands marketing team with new appointment
Hassan Merchant, the newly appointed Marketing Manager for ATM, has been an employee of RX since 2020
RX, organisers of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), have appointed Hassan Merchant as Marketing Manager for the leading international travel trade show.
In his new role, Merchant will report to Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, managing the development and implementation of the marketing strategy for the Dubai-based exhibition, which welcomed a record 47,000 attendees last year.
Originally from India, Merchant holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Ness Wadia College of Commerce in Pune. On graduating, he embarked on a career in events before moving to Dubai in 2014 to work in marketing and event management at Messe Frankfurt Middle East. His career then continued with the Landmark Group before joining RX in 2020.
Having previously held the position of Senior Marketing Executive at ATM, Merchant rejoins the team from his role as Marketing Manager for the World Future Energy Summit.
Commenting on Merchant’s appointment, Curtis said: “Hassan brings 12 years of invaluable experience in marketing from both the UAE and India to ATM. His results-oriented approach and dedication to detail make him a highly valued asset to the team. I look forward to working together on the continued growth and development of the ATM brand.”
Merchant will develop and manage the marketing strategy for ATM across multiple channels, including digital, public relations and event management. He will also oversee all exhibitor marketing initiatives for the event and collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders from government organisations to industry associations.
As part of the strategy, there will be a strong emphasis on securing high-value visitors, ensuring exhibitors can engage with key decision-makers, and gain valuable insights ensuring ATM continues to grow its influence in the global travel and tourism landscape.
“It is an exciting time to work in the travel and tourism industry, which is growing at a remarkable rate both in the GCC and worldwide. The expansion of ATM has gone hand in hand with this over the past three decades, and I am committed to contribute to its continued success in 2025 and beyond.”
The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/.
For more information, log on to wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
ATM takes place from 28 April to 1 May 2025, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-Up Competition, Influencers’ Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
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.
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: 5 to 7 November 2024 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 2025 – 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: 9 to 11 April 2025 – 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/
