A UAE newspaper has said that tourism is a critical industry for the UAE as nearly 4.57 million travellers visited Dubai in the first quarter of 2017, and Abu Dhabi aims to attract 4.9 million visitors this year.

"The total contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the UAE’s gross domestic product is expected to reach 8.5 percent this year, with a value of AED122.6 billion," said Gulf News in an editorial today.

That means that events like this year’s Arabian Travel Market, ATM, are becoming increasingly important. This year’s event is already looking to be a major success, with industry leaders across aviation and tourism turning out in force to discuss current issues and find ways to overcome them.

The paper quoted His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as saying, "Tourism is a culture and art, and our national institutions and youth should be creative and turn their knowledge and expertise into action so as to contribute to developing the tourism industry."