Dubai, September 15, 2026 — Dubai is moving beyond the idea of using artificial intelligence to make travel services faster. At Arabian Travel Market this week, the focus has shifted towards using AI and connected data to change how visitors plan trips, move around the city and interact with hotels and attractions.
The discussion comes as the second day of ATM 2026 gets underway at Dubai World Trade Centre, with technology, traveller behaviour and the recovery of regional tourism high on the agenda.
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism AI chief Dr Marwan Al Zarouni said the industry needs to start designing travel systems around the outcome travellers want, rather than improving individual steps such as booking a room or checking into a hotel.
Dubai is already testing that approach.
The city has introduced an AI-powered “wise itinerary planner” and mobile-based hotel check-in, while officials are pushing for stronger connections between aviation, hotels, mobility services and attractions.
From booking tools to connected travel
The bigger change is happening behind the screen.
Al Zarouni has argued that AI becomes more useful when the systems feeding it are connected and the underlying data is reliable. That could allow travel companies and destinations to predict demand, adjust capacity and offer more personalised recommendations in real time.
It is a different proposition from simply adding a chatbot to a hotel website.
Dubai has also tied its AI ambitions to the wider D33 economic agenda, with initiatives including Dubai AI Campus and Dubai AI Lab aimed at accelerating adoption across government and business.
Tourism recovery adds pressure to innovate
The technology push comes at an important moment for Dubai's tourism industry.
The emirate recorded around 6.97 million international visitors in the first eight months of 2026, while August arrivals reached about 869,000, the highest monthly figure since February. Hotel occupancy also recovered to 66% in August, compared with 36% in March.
Dubai also recorded around 21 million booked hotel room nights during the first eight months of the year, according to figures announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at ATM.
That recovery is changing the conversation. The question for the industry is no longer only how to bring travellers back, but how destinations can handle changing expectations once demand returns.
At ATM on Tuesday, industry executives were also pointing to technology, talent and customer experience as the areas that will determine which travel businesses remain competitive as the market enters its next phase.
Dubai's tourism bet is getting more digital
ATM 2026 runs until September 17 and has put technology near the centre of its programme.
The event's new ATM Travel Tech section brings together more than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries, with artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, fintech and green technology among the main areas on display.
For Dubai, the timing is significant. The city is trying to grow tourism while also making the visitor journey more seamless — from discovering a destination to booking accommodation and navigating the city after arrival.
AI is becoming part of that infrastructure rather than simply another feature added to it.
