Emirates expands partnerships at ATM to reach distinct traveller groups

# What happened

At the Arabian Travel Market 2026, Emirates announced a set of commercial agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at widening its customer reach. The airline focused on three types of partners: destination promotion agencies, travel technology and distribution platforms, and cruise and business-community organisations.

# New destination agreements

Emirates signed with the Mozambique National Agency for Tourism Development and Investment (ANDITUR) to grow international tourism into Mozambique. The partners will explore promotional activity through Emirates' Africa partnerships and improve connectivity into Mozambique's airports. The brief mentions Mozambique's long coastline (2,500 km) and its mix of beach, ocean adventures, cultural experiences and urban tourism as the product to promote.

# China-facing distribution and digital engagement

Emirates signed an MoU with Alibaba Fliggy, one of China's largest online travel agencies. The collaboration will focus on co-branded marketing campaigns, customer engagement initiatives, and potential integration opportunities between Emirates Skywards and Fliggy's membership ecosystem. The intent is to increase brand visibility and deliver more personalised travel offers to Chinese consumers via Fliggy's platform.

# Cruise partnerships and operational integration

Emirates broadened a long-running relationship with MSC Cruises through a new MoU. The agreement covers multiple operational and commercial areas:

• Expand fly-cruise distribution and develop through-fares and open-jaw itineraries aligned to MSC's seasonal homeport strategy.
• Create tailored products for MSC Grand Voyages and repositioning cruises, enabling seamless one-way options between regions.
• Explore port models like Dubai's Port Rashid for terminal check-in, through-baggage handling, coordinated transfers, and joint disruption/repatriation protocols.
• Strengthen crew mobility with dedicated fares, enhanced baggage allowances, and specialised servicing channels for seafarers.

This continues more than a decade of cooperation and aims to integrate air and sea products at multiple customer touchpoints.

# Business councils and route-driven engagement

# What this means for travellers and partners

For partners the agreements promise coordinated marketing and operational options such as through-fares, joint promotional campaigns, and streamlined transfer and baggage processes for multimodal itineraries.

# Immediate signals

Emirates is using ATM 2026 to reinforce distribution reach (digital OTA integration), product packaging (fly-cruise and repositioning cruises), and route-driven business engagement (Helsinki, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh). The moves are tactical: attach the airline's network to destination promotion, travel platforms, cruise schedules, and business communities that generate targeted traveller segments.