Emirates Holidays profit rises 33pc

Emirates Holidays, the leisure travel wing of the Emirates Group, has registered a 15 per cent growth in passengers and 33 per cent growth in profit during the last financial year (April 2002 to March, 2003), officials said while launching the new holiday brochure for 2002-2003.

They said the current situation in the Gulf will not have a major impact on the company's operations as the booking outlook for the coming holiday season looks positive.

"In 2002, Emirates' capacity increased by 30 per cent with the arrival of new aircraft as well as introduction of new routes which helped us in increased business," said Hans E. Haensel, Emirates' director for Destination and Leisure Management.

"Similarly, in 2003, we expect to grow more as Emirates will increase its capacity by a further 30 per cent and launch operations in new destinations that will help us to offer new products and destinations to leisure travellers.

"Emirates' route and growth is on course and it is taking delivery of new aircraft as schedule. So there is no reason for us not to be on track. We expect to increase business from the new markets that Emirates is flying to later this year."

Emirates Holidays' contribution to the Emirates Group's revenue rose to nine per cent last year. "Last year, we handled 70,000 customers, both inbound and outbound, and in 2003, we expect to serve between 80,000 and 85,000 leisure travellers.

"The present situation in the Gulf," he stressed, "is not affecting our operations much as the booking outlook for the forthcoming season appears positive."

Haensel said across Emirates Holidays' 40 destinations, the UAE remains the top, having a 43 per cent market share in its network, with a growth of 11.6 per cent last year over 2001.

"This is followed by Asia with 23.5 per cent, Europe with 14.6 per cent, the Levant with 11.7 per cent and Africa with 5.6 per cent," he added.

"This makes us the largest single travel and tour operator promoting the UAE as a destination among 500 international travel, tour operators and destination management companies."

He said the outbreak of SARS has had minor effect on business travellers to Hong Kong.

"The outbreak of SARS in China and Hong Kong is having a slight effect on business travellers to Hong Kong. For holidaymakers, this is a low season anyway. So not very many leisure travellers are flying to Hong Kong anyway."

John Felix, general manager of Emirates Holidays, said Malaysia became the highest growth destination for the company last year with a 50 per cent growth, followed by the South African market which saw a 44 per cent growth, Egypt with 29 per cent and Thailand with 27 per cent.

The newly-launched Emirates Holiday's 600-page brochure has five different editions to cater to markets, including an Arabic one. It has an extensive range of new products to cater to a wider segment of leisure travellers, officials said.

A total of 800,000 copies will be distributed to customers through travel and tour operators in the coming months.