Emirates signs 7 tourism deals covering Seychelles, Malaysia, Finland and more

Dubai: Emirates has signed seven tourism agreements spanning the Indian Ocean, Europe, Southeast Asia and the UAE, extending partnerships aimed at bringing more visitors to destinations across its global network.

The agreements, signed during Arabian Travel Market 2026, cover Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Sharjah, Malaysia, Finland and Western Norway, with joint marketing campaigns, travel trade programmes and familiarisation trips among the measures planned.

The Dubai airline also renewed agreements with Huawei and Dubai Duty Free covering digital services and passenger offers.

Seychelles and Mauritius partnerships renewed

Emirates renewed its partnership with the Seychelles Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism and Culture, extending a relationship first established in 2013.

The agreement will focus on increasing inbound travel through joint marketing campaigns and familiarisation trips for media and travel trade partners.

Emirates currently operates two daily flights to Mahé. Visitor arrivals to Seychelles rose 13% to nearly 400,000 in 2025 from 353,000 a year earlier.

The airline has also renewed its agreement with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, continuing a partnership that has supported the country’s tourism sector for more than two decades.

Tourist arrivals to Mauritius from Middle Eastern markets rose 10.5% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

Emirates operates three daily flights to Mauritius, providing weekly capacity of 19,096 seats in both directions.

The renewed partnership will include destination promotion through travel agents, special packages for different customer segments and familiarisation trips targeting key feeder markets.

Madagascar targets one million tourists

Emirates also signed an agreement with Madagascar’s Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts to support the country’s target of attracting one million tourists by 2028.

The two sides will promote Madagascar in key markets through advertising, incentives and tailored packages developed with tour operators and travel agencies, alongside familiarisation trips for media and the travel trade.

Sharjah tourism partnership continues

Emirates and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority renewed their agreement covering tourism promotion across markets including the GCC, India, China, Far East Asia and Europe.

The partnership has included joint sales calls, workshops, roadshows and familiarisation trips, with Emirates also helping SCTDA connect with travel trade partners in markets where the authority has no local representation.

Emirates also works with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to encourage international visitors to experience more than one destination in the UAE during their stay.

Malaysia targets 47 million foreign visitors

Emirates and Tourism Malaysia renewed their partnership through a one-year agreement supporting the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, which targets 47 million foreign visitor arrivals.

The partnership will cover joint marketing and advertising initiatives and familiarisation trips for media and travel trade partners.

Emirates operates 21 weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dubai, with onward connectivity through its codeshare partnership with Batik Air.

Finland deal comes before Helsinki launch

Emirates also signed an agreement with Visit Finland ahead of the airline’s launch of Helsinki flights on October 1.

The new service will establish the only year-round connectivity between Finland and the UAE.

The partnership will target markets across East and Southeast Asia, West Asia, Australasia, the Middle East and Africa, alongside programmes aimed at travel trade partners and tour operators.

Promotion will cover Finland’s four main tourism regions, including Lakeland, Coast and Archipelago, Lapland and Helsinki.

Emirates also signed an agreement with Fjord Norway, the official tourism board for Western Norway, to support inbound tourism to the region through the airline’s global network.

Passenger offers and digital partnerships

Emirates renewed its strategic partnership with Huawei, extending collaboration across marketing, digital innovation and customer experience.

The partnership builds on work dating back to 2020, including integration of the Emirates App into Huawei’s ecosystem and joint marketing campaigns.

The renewed agreement will cover personalised digital travel services, brand engagement in China and new media opportunities.

Emirates has also signed an agreement with Dubai Duty Free that will provide passengers travelling to or through Dubai with exclusive offers at Dubai Duty Free outlets in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.

The agreement will support joint initiatives between Emirates and Dubai Duty Free aimed at enhancing the passenger experience and increasing traffic through Dubai.