The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has entered into a strategic partnership with the World Travel Market, which will include the GWI organising wellness symposiums for WTM events.

The partnership will kick off at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM), set to take place 24-27 April in Dubai.

The GWI will host a wellness symposium on the afternoon of Tuesday, 25 April that will put the spotlight on the growing wellness travel industry in the Middle East and North Africa, now estimated to be worth US$8.3bn, with 8.5 million inbound and domestic wellness trips taking place in 2015.

“The Global Wellness Institute is honoured to partner with the WTM and ATM, two powerful travel industry events that attract more global travel professionals than any other,” said Susie Ellis, chair and CEO of the GWI.

“Wellness travel is not only growing twice as fast as tourism overall, it’s evolving in bold new directions, both globally and across the Middle East. Our ongoing mission will be to bring together the top experts and latest research and trends in this travel space to ATM and WTM’s tens of thousands of attendees.”

In 2016, ATM launched a dedicated Wellness and Spa Lounge, connecting Middle East wellness and spa buyers with international suppliers. Organisers said the wellness lounge helped ATM 2016 generate more than US$2.5bn in deals for the region’s travel and tourism industry.

The partnership will continue at World Travel Market London, set for 6-8 November 2017, with a focus on the global wellness industry. WTM London will also host a Wellness Lounge facilitating deals in the wellness travel and tourism sector.

“The wellness tourism sector is one of the fastest growing and most important in the travel industry and the symposiums at both Arabian Travel Market and World Travel Market London will give delegates the vital information they need to take advantage of the popularity of wellness tourism and grow their businesses,” said Simon Press, senior director of World Travel Market London and Arabian Travel Market.