DUBAI, 14th September, 2026 (WAM) — Emirates is starting Arabian Travel Market 2026 strong with the signing of seven Memoranda of Understanding with tourism boards across the Indian Ocean, Europe, Southeast Asia and the UAE, alongside renewed agreements with technology and retail partners.
Emirates partners with tourism boards to build awareness in source markets across the airline’s network of nearly 140 destinations, converting interest into bookings and growing visitor flows that support the travel ecosystem in the destination.
By partnering with Emirates, destinations reach new markets and audiences they couldn’t access alone, while giving Emirates customers more reasons and ways to discover their attractions.
Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MTC), renewing a partnership first established in 2013.
The agreement will work towards further stimulating inbound traffic to the Seychelles via Emirates’ global network of nearly 140 destinations through joint marketing campaigns and familiarisation trips for media and trade partners. Emirates operates two daily flights to Mahé, supporting steady growth in visitor arrivals, up 13 percent to nearly 400,000 in 2025, from 353,000 the year before.
Emirates and Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) have renewed their agreement to promote the nation’s tourism and trade industries. Emirates has supported Mauritius’ tourism ambitions for over two decades, growing arrivals and opening the destination to new source markets. The airline has also driven growth in tourist arrivals from Middle East markets, which rose 10.5 % in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
The renewed partnership will continue to enable the airline to promote the island nation through its network of agents in key markets, develop special packages designed to appeal to various customer segments, in addition to collaborating on joint familiarisation trips to raise awareness of the destination’s offerings to audiences in key feeder markets. Currently, Emirates’ weekly capacity to and from Mauritius stands at 19,096 seats in both directions, with three daily flights.
Emirates’ partnership with Madagascar’s Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts (MTH) will support the growth of visitor numbers to the Indian Ocean island and support its target of one million tourists by 2028.
Emirates and MTH will promote Madagascar in key markets through joint advertising, working with tour operators and travel agencies on incentives and tailored packages, and running familiarisation trips for media and the travel trade.
Emirates and the Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) renewed their partnership to continue driving tourism growth in the emirate of Sharjah.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Emirates’ Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer and Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA.
The renewal builds on a long-standing relationship between the two organisations, which has centred on close collaboration across key source markets in the GCC, India, China, the Far East Asia and Europe. Emirates and SCTDA have worked side by side on joint sales calls, trade workshops, roadshows and familiarisation trips, with Emirates also supporting SCTDA in markets where it has no local representation, introducing trade partners for further engagement, and supporting MICE activity and trade visits to the emirate.
The Emirates and SCTDA partnership reflects the airline’s long-standing commitment to promote inbound tourism to the UAE, working closely with other tourism bodies like the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) to encourage visitors to consider experiencing more than one destination in the country during their stay.
Khalid Jasim Al Midfa said, “Renewing our partnership with Emirates is a strategic step in advancing Sharjah’s tourism agenda and consolidating the emirate’s position as a distinctive, year-round destination at the heart of the UAE’s tourism landscape. Aviation partnerships of this calibre are central to how Sharjah competes globally: Emirates’ worldwide network, market intelligence and deep relationships with the international travel trade give the emirate direct access to high-value source markets and enable us to convert that reach into seamless, enriching itineraries for visitors.”
Emirates and Tourism Malaysia have renewed their partnership through a one-year MoU to support the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, which targets 47 million foreign visitor arrivals.
The collaboration will explore joint marketing and advertising initiatives, as well as familiarisation trips for media and travel-trade partners. Emirates will promote Malaysia across its global network, supported by 21 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai and onward connectivity via Kuala Lumpur through its codeshare with Batik Air.
Emirates and Visit Finland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and drive inbound tourism to Finland from across the airline’s global network. Emirates will launch operations to Helsinki from 1 October, establishing the only year-round connectivity between Finland and the UAE and creating new opportunities for travel and tourism.
Emirates and Visit Finland will explore opportunities to promote Finland in strategic regions on the airline’s global network, including East and Southeast Asia, West Asia, Australasia and major hubs in the Middle East and Africa, along with developing programmes for trade partners and tour operators that educate and excite the industry.
Finland’s National Tourism Strategy 2025–2028 aims to grow the sector while creating long-term economic and social value. The partnership will promote year-round travel across Finland’s four main regions: the light-filled summers of Lakeland, the islands and forests of the Coast and Archipelago, the winter experiences of Lapland, and Helsinki’s urban life and sauna culture.
Emirates and Fjord Norway, the official tourist board of Western Norway, will work closely to boost inbound tourism to the region. The agreement underscores the airline’s commitment to playing a vital role with supporting the growth of tourism in Norway through the provision of connectivity to its global network and world-class travel experiences.
Emirates has also renewed its long-standing strategic partnership with Huawei, reinforcing its commitment to the Chinese market and expanding collaboration across marketing, digital innovation and customer experiences. Building on successful initiatives since 2020, including the Emirates App’s integration with Huawei’s ecosystem and joint marketing campaigns, the renewed MoU will focus on strengthening brand engagement in China, advancing personalised digital travel solutions, and exploring new media opportunities. The partnership also supports Emirates’ broader growth strategy in China, where the airline has expanded its network, resumed A380 services and introduced its Premium Economy product.
Emirates and Dubai Duty Free (DDF) have signed an agreement to provide Emirates passengers, traveling to or through Dubai, with exclusive offers at DDF outlets across Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3, adding extra value to their journey.
It was signed by Mohammad Al Hashimi, Vice President, Commercial Products, Dubai and Mona Al Ali, Senior Vice President – Human Resources at DDF, in the presence of Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Ramesh Cidambi, DDF’s Managing Director.
The agreement reflects a shared commitment by Emirates and Dubai Duty Free, one of the world’s largest airport retailers, to enhance the passenger experience on the ground, support Dubai’s tourism and aviation sector, and grow traffic to and through Dubai across the Emirates network through joint initiatives between the two organisations.
Source: Emirates News Agency