KATHMANDU: Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), along with five private travel trade companies and the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation participated in the ATM- 2009 held in Dubai, UAE, from May 5-8, 2009, says a release from Nepal Tourism Board. Considering the increased air accessibility to the Middle East region Nepalese tourism industry gave the continuity to the Arabian Travel Market participation for the third time to keep tapping the expatriates as well as the Emirate travelers’ market for Nepal from the UAE countries. This year the special focus was to create awareness for Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, inaugurated the ATM on May 5, 2009 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). Arabian Travel Market 2009 boasted more than 2,100 exhibitors and stand-sharers, from 69 countries, including 70 new-to-market representatives, as well as nearly 60 national tourist bodies representing six continents. Organized by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, ALUMINIUM Dubai featured 166 travel trade participants from 24 countries and kept the steady flow of buyers to ATM 2009 for three continuous days. The last day was exclusively for consumers and careers, and brought the mix nationality individual travelers to ATM 2009 to look for various holiday options.