The merger, which includes Hills Balfour’s offices across London and Dubai, brings MMGY’s Global’s total number of overseas offices to four including Madrid, Taipei, and now additionally London and Dubai.

Hills Balfour will continue to trade under the same name, and it will now be known as Hills Balfour, an MMGY Global Company.

The MMGY brand and services will now also be introduced into both regions as MMGY London and MMGY Dubai. The two firms will begin integrating operations this year.

Amanda Hills, Hills Balfour’s founder and chief executive, will continue to oversee the London and Dubai firms’ overall operations.

She will assume the new role of president, HB and MMGY London and Dubai, partnering with the MMGY Global senior management team to grow the agency’s European footprint.

“Taking the strength of MMGY Global’s services and extending this through Hills Balfour into the UK and Dubai markets is a logical move and offers even greater benefit to both our clients and our teams at Hills Balfour, all of whom will be part of this journey,” said Hills.

“We have worked with MMGY Global and their team through the Travel Consul network for a number of years, and this official partnering was the obvious next step.

“We will continue to retain our independence, and thereby our autonomy, to deliver the creative thinking for which we are known.”