The event, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25, comes as the UAE sets a target to reduce its carbon emissions by 16% by 2021.
ATM senior exhibition director Simon Press said: “It is important to highlight that the GCC is one of the fastest growing regional hospitality markets on a global scale and is a resource intensive industry. Its impact on the environment is multi-dimensional, ranging from CO2 emissions, water and energy demand, food waste, noise and light pollution.”
The UN’s World Tourism Organisation estimates that tourism is responsible for about 5% of global CO2 emissions. Accommodation accounts for approximately 20% of emissions from tourism, which includes energy demand, dining and leisure.
According to the latest research from property company Colliers International, hotel carbon footprint in the UAE is within the global average range (20,000 - 30,000 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent per room); but Saudi Arabia is up at over 50,000. It is a similar story in terms of hotel energy usage per square metre – the UAE is within the global average at just under 500KWH, but Saudi Arabia is around 750KWH.
Press added: “Travellers have become very conscious of the carbon footprint they are leaving while visiting destinations across the globe and the subsequent impact this has on the environment. This growing trend has meant the entire industry has had to look long and hard at how sustainability and a credible social conscious must drive business strategy.”
ATM saw more than 39,000 people at its 2017 event, including 2,661 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than $2.5 billion over the four days.
Celebrating its 25th year, ATM 2018 will build on the success of this year’s edition, with a host of seminar sessions looking back over the last 25 years and how the hospitality industry in the MENA region is expected to shape up over the next 25.
