Emirates is collaborating with VisitBritain to boost inbound tourism to the UK.
Under the agreement, the airline will collaborate with Britain’s national tourism agency to boost visitor traffic into the UK from more than 140 global destinations, including markets across the Middle East, Far East Asia and Australasia.
A declaration of intent was signed during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) by Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (West) Europe and Americas and Gary Robson, Director for Middle East, India and Europe at VisitBritain.
The signing took place in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.
Jabr Al-Azeeby, Emirates Divisional Vice President in the UK said:
“The UK is one of the most important markets in Emirates’ global network and we’re proud to work with VisitBritain to showcase the captivating attractions and the wonderful variety of experiences in store for visitors – from bustling cities to mesmerising countryside landscapes.
“We look forward to closely working with partners across the travel eco-system to boost awareness and promote inbound arrivals while harnessing the strength of our network and connectivity to the UK.”
Gary Robson, Director for Middle East, India and Europe at VisitBritain, said: “Growing airline routes and seat capacity into our regional gateways is crucial to our competitive tourism offer to visitors and and we’re delighted to collaborate with Emirates to boost tourism to, and across, the UK.
“The GCC is an incredibly important visitor market for us, with travellers forecast to spend £3.5 billion on their trips to the UK this year.
“With the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and the growing airline connectivity, travel from the Gulf is now more accessible, affordable, and seamless for visitors.
“We’re seeing strong growth from the GCC and Emirates’ new Dubai to Edinburgh route makes it easier for visitors from the Gulf and beyond to explore through our regional gateways.”
Under the agreement, Emirates and VisitBritain will explore joint promotions and tactical efforts, familiarisation trips to the UK for media and travel agents, and support other promotional activities that will increase travel demand to London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
According to VisitBritain’s forecast, the UK is expected to welcome 43.4 million visits overall in 2025.
Playing a vital role in supporting this growth, Emirates operates 133 weekly flights to/from the UK across eight gateways, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Glasgow.
The airline’s flight operations and enhanced connectivity will continue to help boost inbound tourism and support the UK Government’s ambition to attract 50 million visitors annually by 2030.
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