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Emirates targets Saudi Arabia as prime sector market

By ROGER HARRISON JEDDAH: Emirates Airlines launched its 2011 holiday brochure, "World of Choice," in Jeddah on Sunday. Saudi Arabia represents 12 percent of Emirates Holidays' total revenue and about half of that derives from the premium customized holiday sector. New offerings for this year among the 130 world destinations include Amsterdam, Prague, Tokyo and Madrid, following the launch of these new routes by the Dubai-based carrier.

Dina Al-Herais, vice president-commercial, Emirates Holidays, said that the holiday company's appeal was largely to its existing passengers. The typical client is the middle to upper portion of the market, "one who already travels on the airline and wants to extend the same level of service on the ground."

"Almost half of clients are repeat customers, in the upper segment and travel with Emirates. We cater for a lot of big families and six-star travelers and above," she added.

Noting that Emirates Holidays aims to reflect current trends and shifts in holiday travel, Al-Herais said the Middle East travel market was still a virgin territory.

"People are still learning how to travel, that it is beyond going to the same destination every year where it is safe and you know what to expect," she said. Travelers are now willing to travel to new destinations with a tried and trusted airline they were comfortable with. "It's a process of 'one step at a time,' as people begin to discover the options and extend their limits," she said. "Now we have clients for the honeymoon packages that involve long-haul flights to Mauritius and onward to Cape Town. They find there is a whole world to discover."

The Far East, Australia, the Indian Ocean islands and the UAE are among the consistently popular family holiday destinations for Saudi travelers. In Europe, the top four selling destinations for this segment remain France, Germany, Austria and the UK. Saudi travelers frequently combine their holidays -- be it in the Far East, Indian Ocean islands or Europe -- with a short break in Dubai. Multi-center holidays, or a combination of two or three destinations are also very popular among Saudi families during summer.

The bespoke holiday market accounts for half of the holidays booked. "Clients have a lot of requirements that are not general requirements," she said. Emirates Holidays makes contracts for services -- for example booking of suites - but remains flexible in their allotment. "A very big percentage of the business we process is on demand. While the hotel may be in the brochure, the extras, a mix and match if you like, are where the customizing occurs." New in the brochure offerings this year are boutique resorts and villas in Sri Lanka, classic train journeys across Europe, and cruises to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand and in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and even Alaska.

Al-Herais put the success of Emirates Holidays largely down to its relationship with its agents and service suppliers. "We meet them every year in Dubai and review the scene. It's about communication," she added.

© Arab News 2011