Dubai - UAE

Artificial intelligence is coming to the forefront of discussions at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2026), which kicks off tomorrow, Monday, at the Dubai World Trade Center and continues until September 17, as the tourism industry moves from using technology for research and recommendations to systems that can carry out integrated tasks on behalf of the traveler.

From proposing the trip to executing it

One of the most prominent files presented is Agentic AI, which differs from traditional conversational tools in its ability to take practical steps to achieve the user’s goal. In the travel sector, this opens the door to systems that in the future can help in searching, comparing, booking and managing multiple parts of a trip, rather than simply suggesting a hotel or destination.

Saber, a strategic partner of ATM Travel Tech, says that the sector is moving from the stage of artificial intelligence that provides recommendations to systems capable of acting on behalf of the traveler and managing more complex trips in real time.

Travel agencies face a new test
The conference program also addresses the future of electronic travel agencies (OTAs) in light of the acceleration of innovation. Schubert Lo, CEO of Trip.com, will participate in a discussion alongside Ross Fitch, CEO of Wego, and Raj Rishi Singh of MakeMyTrip, to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on the competition between digital travel platforms.

The hotel is getting smarter

Shifts don't stop at booking; ATM showcases the future of smart hospitality through personalization supported by artificial intelligence, robots, and predictive services for guests, with the aim of improving the guest experience and raising the operational efficiency of hotels.

The exhibition allocates a separate space for ATM Travel Tech, with more than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries, while the technologies displayed include artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, robotics and financial technology.

What does this mean for the Arab traveler?

For the traveler, the most important shift in the coming years may be reducing the number of steps between thinking about a trip and executing it. Instead of hopping between search engines, airlines, hotels and booking platforms, the industry is moving towards a more connected and personalized experience.
However, this shift raises questions about trust, privacy, and who owns the decision to make a reservation when artificial intelligence systems move from providing advice to implementing it. These are questions that make the technology one of the most prominent topics of discussion at ATM this year.