ATM 2025: Emirates strikes 8 deals to power global tourism growth

Emirates signed eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with tourism boards across Asia, Europe and Africa on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), in a move aimed at strengthening inbound tourism flows to multiple destinations.

The airline inked agreements with tourism authorities from Sharjah, the Philippines, Maldives, Britain, Thailand, Japan, Uganda and Hungary, to drive visitor traffic across its network of more than 140 destinations.

The agreement with Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) will see the two parties jointly promote tourism to the UAE, offering bespoke packages through Emirates’ ‘Dubai Experience’ platform and implementing a series of marketing and promotional campaigns.

Emirates also signed an MoU with the Philippines Department of Tourism to boost inbound traffic from the Middle East and Europe. The collaboration will focus on joint marketing initiatives and familiarisation trips targeting key tourism stakeholders.

In the Maldives, Emirates will work with the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation to promote the archipelago through advertising campaigns, customised travel packages, and travel trade activations. The airline, which has served the Maldives since 1987, will also support business and trade development via its cargo operations.

These European countries sign MoUs with Emirates

In Europe, Emirates and VisitBritain signed a declaration of intent to drive tourism to the United Kingdom. The partners will launch joint promotions and familiarisation trips to major UK cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

VisitBritain forecasts 43.4 million visits to the UK in 2025, with Emirates operating 133 weekly flights to the country.

Emirates also entered a strategic partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to boost tourism from its global network to Thailand. Joint advertising campaigns, media familiarisation trips and promotions through tour operators are planned as part of the agreement.

With Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Emirates pledged to collaborate on data sharing, joint analyses and promotional efforts to encourage travel between Japan and the Middle East.

The airline renewed its MoU with the Uganda Tourism Board for 2025, following a year of partnership that saw a 16 per cent increase in passenger traffic on the Dubai-Entebbe route.

Emirates and the board will continue to promote Uganda as a premier tourist destination through familiarisation trips and trade engagements.

Meanwhile, a partnership with Visit Hungary aims to promote inbound travel to Budapest via joint marketing campaigns and media and travel agent familiarisation visits.

Emirates and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises tie-up

Emirates and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have announced a partnership to offer combined luxury cruise and air travel experiences through special packages.

Starting from the 2026/2027 season, the two brands will collaborate on developing and marketing premium air-sea packages, targeting upscale customer segments and trade partners.

The partnership will establish dedicated fares and capacity aligned with cruise seasonality and luxury demand, while coordinating global cruise itineraries with Emirates’ route network to offer seamless connectivity for passengers travelling to ports across the Indian Ocean Islands, Africa, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.