The UAE office will be headquartered in Dubai and managed by InteleTravel's UK team, headed by UK and Ireland Managing Director Tricia Handley-Hughes, who wants to initial recruit around 1,000 advisors before growing that number further.
InteleTravel will introduce a suite of training tools to educate its UAE-based advisors, including mandatory training to help them grasp the regulatory frameworks around selling travel in the UAE.
This will supported by a 90-day onboarding programme to provide advisors with tools and knowledge to get their travel business started. The onboarding programme will replicate its UK Partner Engagement Programme, where partners engage in a mix of virtual and live events.
Speaking to TTG, Handley-Hughes confirmed the host travel agency hoped to have a Country Manager in place by August at the latest.
InteleTravel had initially planned to announce its UAE operation in January, which it delayed to make more preparations, only then for the war in Iran to further delay the launch.
"We had been ready to launch for quite some time," said Handley-Hughes. "We've got dedicated product, a dedicated customer service team and the advisors have got a back office set up with really relevant content.
"We were looking to launch in January, but then we had a few things to sort out, and then the conflict happened."
Handley-Hughes confirmed InteleTravel will target British expats living in the UAE, adding it was likely the new UAE Country Manager would be among them. "You would be shocked about many Brits are out there, and how many are considering relocating to the UAE," she added.
InteleTravel has launched with 34 contracted preferred partners in the UAE, including cruise and tour operators, as well as live events providers and attractions, which will be supported by a back office featuring more than three million products such as accommodation, air and ancillary products, which can be dynamically packaged.
It has secured legal permits and a trading licence to operate in the UAE, and developed a new website incorporating AI technology to deliver advanced tools for advisors that can help streamline administration processes.
'It makes perfect sense'
InteleTravel Co-Founder and Chief Executive James Ferrara said: “The UAE has established itself as one of the world's most important travel hubs, connecting Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia through its world-class infrastructure.
"This is an exciting environment to launch and grow InteleTravel’s global footprint, building on our operations in the UK, Ireland, US, Mexico and the Caribbean. Launching in the region made perfect sense.
“For UK expats, it's an especially attractive place to start a career as a travel advisor because of its international population, strong appetite for travel and position at the crossroads of global tourism.”
Handley-Hughes said the UAE's outbound travel market had proven to be "remarkably resilient". "The relaxation of travel to the region is already showing encouraging signs of renewed confidence for international travel for leisure, family visits and special experiences," she said.
“Of course, there have been significant challenges this year, but we believe now is the time to breathe optimism and opportunity back into the UAE and show our support to the local community. The overall outlook remains positive, with travel demand expected to strengthen.
"Our launch is part of a long-term growth strategy, which will open up unprecedented opportunities for travel advisors in the UAE to build incredible careers and develop as entrepreneurs.”
Handley-Hughes declined to say which country InteleTravel planned to expand into next, but stressed: "We're on the expansion trail. We've got to focus now on getting this right. We're already reported that we're going into business travel, so watch this space. There's a lot of effort being put into this launch."
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