Emirates launches Emirates Vacations in U.S. market

The tour operating arm of Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has launched its first global franchise, Emirates Vacations, in the United States market.

The move by Emirates Holidays follows the signing of a five-year franchise agreement with U.S.-based Destination Southern Africa Inc. (DSA Vacations) and rebranding as Emirates Vacations for the U.S. market.

The agreement will enable Emirates Holidays< to leverage DSA Vacations’ local expertise and market intelligence to feature competitively priced vacation packages to Dubai and other popular destinations such as the Indian Ocean Islands, India, Italy and Thailand.

“With Emirates’ successful operations in the U.S. serving seven gateways, we have access to a significant market of global travelers many of whom are already considering destinations served by the airline’s network,” Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said in a statement announcing the partnership. “Working closely with Emirates, there is tremendous potential for Emirates Vacations to reach a wider customer base and adopt a more holistic approach to the business, where the airline can be a part of the customer’s entire travel experience.”

Airline officials said finding the right partner was key to expanding Emirates Holidays into the U.S. market.

“With DSA [Vacations], we have found a partner with a wealth of experience, an impressive and consistent performance and with whom we share a like-minded philosophy: to deliver memorable travel experiences at the most competitive prices,” Marc Bennett, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Destination & Leisure Management, said.

Emirates Vacations will focus primarily on selling one-week to two-week vacations to Dubai but will also offer vacation packages beyond the United Arab Emirates, with stop-overs, multi-center packages and high-end adventure holidays across Emirates’ global destinations.

Emirates offers 56 weekly flights in the U.S. from seven gateways including Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. On Oct. 1, Emirates will launch its new transatlantic route from New York to Milan, providing the only First Class service between the two cities.

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