The International Conference on Accessible Travel and Tourism is set to take place in Dubai for its fifth edition, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Airline and Group. The event is scheduled for October 7-8, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The conference aims to promote legislation, policies, infrastructure, and services, especially in the areas of air, land, and sea mobility, as well as accommodation and hospitality services, catering to the needs of 1.3 billion individuals with disabilities who wish to enjoy life’s pleasures and explore the world with ease.
A number of key officials and experts from global and local organizations, including the World Tourism Organization, the World Airports Council, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), will be speaking at the conference, along with seasoned professionals from the travel, tourism, mobility, marketing, and other related sectors.
This conference will provide an opportunity for decision-makers and professionals in the travel and tourism industry to gain insights into the latest legislation, policies, and global best practices that can help transform cities into preferred tourist destinations. Attendees will learn about simple improvements that can make their facilities leading choices for millions of tourists and their families, who spend billions of dollars annually while traveling abroad.
Preferred Destination
Dubai has achieved numerous milestones in enhancing accessible travel and tourism, aligning with its vision of becoming the global destination of choice for tourists with disabilities. This progress relies on a comprehensive system of advanced policies, infrastructure, and exceptional services.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a supporter of the conference, stated, “The goal of the conference is to gather decision-makers and experts in accessible travel and tourism under one roof to share ideas and learn about best practices that enhance the accessible tourism industry, highlighting the achievements of Dubai and the UAE as a leading country prioritizing individuals with disabilities.”
He added, “I am proud that Dubai has been recognized as a child-friendly city for those on the autism spectrum, as well as Emirates Airline and Dubai Airports being designated as facilities friendly to their needs. This recognition is the result of extensive collaborative efforts and our commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities, enabling Dubai and the UAE to become the best tourist destination globally in terms of service provision.”
He called for a collaborative international effort to ensure accessible tourism for over a billion people worldwide and wished success to all participants in their endeavors.
Lessons from Dubai
The conference will feature a special session titled “Lessons from Dubai,” with representatives from Emirates Airline, Dubai Airports, the Roads and Transport Authority, and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism discussing Dubai’s achievements in accessible travel and tourism. This discussion led to Dubai’s recognition as a friendlier city for individuals with autism, along with Dubai International Airport and Emirates Airline.
Tourists and visitors with disabilities form a significant demographic, spending billions of dollars every year. They seek cities that are more accommodating and meet their needs during travel, accommodation, transportation, and visits to local attractions. The 50 million individuals with disabilities in the Middle East present a tremendous opportunity to enhance the tourism sector and create thousands of new jobs.
Individuals with disabilities make up between 10-15% of any population, equating to 1.3 billion people currently, according to WHO statistics. This number is expected to rise to 2 billion by 2050 due to factors such as aging, illnesses, and conflicts.
Promising Opportunities
This annual conference, organized by Nad Al Sheba Public Relations and Exhibitions in Dubai, offers a unique opportunity for all stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector, including airport employees, travel agents, hospitality services, destinations, and shopping centers, to discover promising opportunities in this industry and enhance their reputation as key players supportive of the UAE’s initiatives in this area.
The summit will focus on the requirements of this demographic during travel and mobility, emphasizing the need to ensure that places and facilities such as hotels, resorts, airports, transportation, communication, shopping centers, beaches, parks, and museums are accessible and meet their needs.
Inclusive Tourism
Ghassan Suleiman, the conference’s Secretary General, remarked: “The tourism industry needs to embrace the concept of inclusive tourism more than ever, catering to millions of individuals with special needs from the moment they think about starting a trip until they arrive at their destination and return. This involves implementing a series of related legislations, innovative solutions, and high-quality services in transportation, hospitality, communication, and skilled human resources to ensure continued growth and expansion of this industry in the coming years.”
He further emphasized, “Stakeholders in the travel and tourism chain must work collaboratively to eliminate barriers preventing travel, especially in light of the international support for the rights of this demographic to travel freely.”
According to a blog post by the World Bank, the tourism sector contributed approximately 6.7% to the GDP of the Middle East in 2023. The European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) reports that at least 257 million tourists are seeking accessible destinations.
A study conducted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) indicates that accessible tourism represents a promising and emerging market, expected to generate revenues of €88.6 billion by 2025.