Emirates Holidays and KATA sign deal to boost Kenyan outbound travel
The partnership links a global holiday portfolio with more than 300 Kenyan travel agencies, opening wider destination choices for travellers
By Grace Wanja
Emirates Holidays and the Kenya Association of Travel Agents yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Nairobi, bringing together one of the world’s largest airline holiday brands and Kenya’s principal travel trade body in a bid to expand outbound tourism from the country.
The agreement, signed at the Emirates Travel Store in Nairobi, pairs Emirates Holidays’ global portfolio of destinations and package holidays with KATA’s network of more than 300 travel agencies across Kenya. Under its terms, the two organisations will collaborate on joint marketing, trade webinars, industry events and targeted holiday packages for KATA member agencies.
Maitha Albutehi, Emirates Holidays business development manager for Africa markets, and Dr Joseph Kithitu, KATA chairman, signed the MoU. Christophe Leloup, Emirates country manager in Kenya, and Nafisa Salim, Emirates sales manager for Kenya, attended the ceremony.
Leloup said the agreement built on Emirates’ decision in July to launch a third daily service between Nairobi and Dubai. “We are now focused on leveraging this enhanced connectivity to stimulate leisure travel and unlock new growth opportunities,” he said. “Working closely with KATA and its extensive network of travel agencies will allow us to increase awareness of Emirates Holidays, strengthen agent capability and deliver greater value to travellers across Kenya.”
Kithitu said the partnership positioned Kenyan travel agents more competitively in an outbound market that was growing in both scale and complexity. “Our members must be well positioned to respond to this demand,” he said. “This partnership strengthens the connection between travel agents and a global travel ecosystem, creating opportunities for KATA members to expand their reach and diversify their offerings.”
Dubai will serve as the primary leisure focus of the collaboration, though the wider Emirates Holidays portfolio spans destinations including Bali, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Australia, Jamaica and more than a dozen others. The partnership will also support inbound tourism, with Emirates Holidays continuing to offer international visitors bespoke packages into Kenya.
Emirates first began flying to Nairobi in 1995 and now operates 21 weekly flights on the route, making it one of the airline’s most established African connections. It remains the only carrier serving Nairobi with enclosed first-class cabin suites.
The MoU forms part of Emirates Holidays’ broader strategy to deepen its presence across key African markets through structured trade partnerships.
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