On the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Emirates inked several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Tourism Malaysia, the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. These MoUs underscore the airline’s dedication to attracting more travelers to over 140 destinations worldwide, encouraging them to explore the unique sights, culture, and attractions of each location, while also fostering travel opportunities for UAE-based companies and SMEs.
In a collaborative effort to enhance tourism and increase visitor numbers from Emirates’ extensive global network, Emirates and Tourism Malaysia formalized their partnership. The MoU signing was attended by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Far East, and Datuk (Dr.) Yasmin Mahmood, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia, with Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President of Passenger Sales & Country Management, also present.
As part of this strategic alliance, both parties will investigate joint advertising opportunities and tactical campaigns. Additionally, Emirates will support familiarization trips for key markets in the Gulf and the Middle East to Malaysia, aiming to boost awareness and stimulate demand.
Orhan Abbas commented: “For over three decades, we’ve been serving Malaysia with world-class service and industry-leading products, while seamlessly connecting the popular gateway with the rest of the world. We’re excited to collaborate with Tourism Malaysia to help drive more traffic growth into the market by leveraging our extensive global network to generate more opportunities for travellers to explore Malaysia’s rich attractions, unique landmarks, and cultural heritage.”
Last year, Emirates and Batik Air Malaysia initiated a codeshare partnership, enabling passengers of Emirates to conveniently travel to five domestic destinations in Malaysia and three regional locations in Southeast Asia through Kuala Lumpur.
Furthermore, Emirates and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) have agreed to cooperate to enhance the visibility of Türkiye as a tourist destination in both new and established markets. The partnership was formalized by Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations in Europe, and ?smail Bütün, General Manager of TGA, with Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, also in attendance.
With this new collaboration, Emirates and TGA will work together to boost tourism to Türkiye from vital markets across the airline’s global network. They plan to organize familiarization trips to Türkiye and launch joint marketing and promotional activities that showcase the country’s distinctive attractions.
Thierry Aucoc commented: “We’re pleased to partner with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), to boost visitor traffic into Türkiye. Through our extensive network and track-record of strong global partnerships, we’re well-placed to support the market’s tourism goals and air connectivity needs. Türkiye is one of the most popular destinations in our network due to its vibrant cultural highlights, world-renowned heritage sites and fantastic gastronomic offerings, we’re confident that our collaborative efforts will inspire more travellers to visit the country and explore its many attractions.”
In 2023, Turkey welcomed approximately 56.7 million visitors, and in the first quarter of 2024, it has already attracted over 7 million foreign visitors, marking a 13.37% increase from the previous year. Emirates currently operates 21 weekly flights to Istanbul, utilizing both Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.
Additionally, Emirates and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) have agreed to collaborate to provide ADCCI’s employees and members with preferential travel rates. This partnership also includes offering Chamber members extra benefits through Emirates’ Business Rewards program for SMEs. ADCCI will support Emirates in promoting its latest products, network destinations, and special offers to its members during numerous events. Moreover, Emirates will engage Chamber members with marketing promotions on its digital platforms.