Kuoni Travel, UAE firm in tie-up

UAE-based travel management service company Dnata today tied up with the Kuoni Travel Group to sell its 'Marhaba' services to Indian travellers. Marhaba (which means welcome in Arabic), a part of the Emirates Group, would provide services like meet-and-greet, assistance with immigration and customs clearance.

Citystop packages for passengers, and auxiliary services like floral bouquets, porterage and limousine services.

"When we enter into a tie-up, we first look at the potential size of the market. Dubai is the most preferred business and leisure destination in Asia today. Marhaba services reduces the stress for first-time travellers and business executives," Kuoni India CEO Zubin Karkaria said.

The services give a passenger end-to-end assistance through airport formalities until hotel check-in, he added. Although these services are available even now, many travellers are unaware of it.

The services would start at a nominal fee of USD 20 and go up till USD 55 plus depending upon the auxiliary services, said Karkaria.

Currently, around seven lakh people travel to Dubai or onward, of which around 50,000 plus avail the Marhaba services.

Kuoni would now market and sell these services through its packages and distribute them through the company's 250 sales outlets and 4,000 travel agents who sell its products. Dnata serves around 2.5 lakh travellers every year in Dubai through its Marhaba service.