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São Paulo – The Brazilian tour operator CVC and the UAE-based carrier Emirates struck a deal earlier this month to get more Brazilians to travel to Dubai. The plan is to make the emirate into the premier travel destination in Asia and a hub from which for people to travel to nearly locations.
Dubai is increasingly popular among Brazilian travelers as it is. According to CVC, from January to September, sales of packages for Dubai soared by 43% from January-September 2016. Sales picked up even further in March as Emirates began flying its São Paulo-Dubai route with an Airbus A380, which can carry 491 passengers per flight, up 38% from the aircraft previously deployed for the route.
“Dubai is becoming an increasingly affordable exotic destination for Brazilian consumers,” CVC international products director Fabio Mader told ANBA via email. He also said CVC accepts Dubai package payments in up to 12 interest-free instalments. According to him, package formats and consumer preferences are changing as people become more experienced travelers.
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The CVC-Emirates agreement provides for special rates for destinations near Dubai – like Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Egypt, the Maldives, Thailand and Turkey – as well as the creation of a services hub where Portuguese-speaking staff will cater to Brazilian tourists in Dubai. This is still under discussion, but Mader guaranteed that the personnel will be Brazilian-born.
In Dubai, CVC offers activities including safaris, desert buggy rides, boat rides along the Dubai Creek, Formula 1 Experience, and tickets to local parks, as well as trips to landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain.
Additional packages for destinations in Asia and Oceania are being considered. “The idea is to promote Dubai as a destination for connecting Brazilians with other countries,” Mader explained.
International convention
CVC has decided that one in every four of its sales conventions will take place abroad. Thanks to the Emirates partnership, the tour operator’s 1st International Convention will happen in Dubai on March 2 and 3, 2018. According to Mader, this is in line with the current scenario for CVC. “CVC is cementing its position in the Brazilian travel industry through acquisitions, broadening its product line and making its presence felt more and more at an international level.”
At the convention, over 1,500 leaders and sales managers will descend on Dubai to make a review of the past year and plan out strategies for the year to come.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
