Sabre has been confirmed as the official ATM Travel Tech Strategic Partner for 2026, reinforcing the growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, data and digital transformation at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
The partnership comes as the travel industry moves towards a new generation of AI applications capable of going beyond recommendations and information to perform actions and manage increasingly complex traveller journeys.
ATM Travel Tech, the new dedicated co-located technology event, is taking place alongside Arabian Travel Market from 14–17 September 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The event is being held under the wider ATM 2026 theme, “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.”
From AI recommendations to action
According to Sabre, the travel technology sector is entering a phase in which agentic AI will increasingly be capable of acting on behalf of travellers rather than simply responding to questions or generating recommendations.
Chad Callaghan, Director of Product Marketing at Sabre, said travellers ultimately expect technology to work seamlessly behind the scenes, while the systems supporting their journeys must be capable of translating traveller intent into bookable and serviceable travel.
The company says this represents a shift from using AI primarily to generate better answers towards applying the technology to deliver practical outcomes across search, booking and servicing.
Sabre has reported that the number of active pilot and production partners using its Agentic APIs and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server increased from 30 in the first quarter of 2026 to more than 60 in the second quarter.
The company’s MCP server is designed to act as a secure intermediary between third-party AI agents and travel technology systems, enabling AI applications to interact with live travel inventory for functions including search, booking and servicing.
Chad Callaghan, Director, Product Marketing, Sabre
Travel technology moves towards connected systems
The partnership reflects the wider transformation taking place across travel technology, with AI increasingly being integrated into distribution, operations, customer experience and commercial decision-making.
Sabre says its technology currently handles more than 11 billion shopping requests each month and approximately 14,000 transactions per second, drawing on more than 50 petabytes of travel data.
The company is using its AI capabilities and travel data infrastructure to support airlines, hotels and travel sellers in areas including operational efficiency, demand management and personalised traveller experiences.
Sabre’s broader AI strategy has also included partnerships designed to connect conversational AI with enterprise travel infrastructure. In February 2026, the company announced a partnership with PayPal and Mindtrip to develop an end-to-end agentic travel experience covering discovery, planning, booking, payment and post-booking management.
ATM Travel Tech expands the event’s technology agenda
The strategic partnership comes with the debut of ATM Travel Tech as a dedicated event alongside Arabian Travel Market.
The new platform brings together technology providers, travel businesses and innovators to explore developments expected to influence the future of tourism. More than 180 exhibitors are participating, with technologies spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, immersive experiences, fintech and smart mobility.
At the centre of ATM Travel Tech is the Tech & Innovation Hub, where exhibitors are demonstrating emerging technologies and exploring their practical applications across the travel ecosystem.
The Future Stage is also examining the role of AI, automation, data intelligence and digital transformation in areas including decision-making, customer experience and commercial performance.
Sessions are addressing subjects such as AI-powered destination marketing, digital transformation and investment in travel technology, reflecting the increasing overlap between technology development and tourism strategy.
Industry collaboration becomes increasingly important
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE at RX Global, said technology has become central to business decisions throughout the travel industry and that Sabre’s experience makes it a natural partner for the new technology-focused platform.
The partnership is intended to support wider discussions between technology companies, travel businesses and policymakers as the sector considers how AI and other emerging technologies will influence travel over the coming decades.
For travel companies, the challenge is increasingly shifting from whether to adopt AI to how the technology can be integrated securely and effectively into existing systems.
Shaping the future of travel technology
The collaboration between ATM Travel Tech and Sabre highlights the growing importance of technology infrastructure as travel companies prepare for a more automated and connected industry.
With AI moving from recommendation engines towards systems capable of taking action, the next phase of travel technology is expected to place greater emphasis on real-time data, interoperability, secure transactions and connected travel ecosystems.
ATM Travel Tech provides a platform for these developments to be explored alongside the wider travel industry, while the 2026 ATM programme examines how innovation and technology could shape the sector through 2040.
