dnata Travel
dnata Travel is a Dubai-based travel distribution subsidiary of The Emirates Group, offering hotels, flights, and holiday packages to UAE consumers and GCC travel agents via B2C, B2B, and corporate channels across 300,000+ properties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What dnata Travel does
dnata Travel is the consumer and trade travel distribution arm of dnata, part of The Emirates Group, operating as a private subsidiary headquartered in Dubai. Founded in 1959, the company functions as a full-service travel agency offering hotel bookings (across 300,000+ global properties), flight bookings, and pre-packaged or customized holiday packages primarily to UAE residents and regional GCC travelers. It distributes through four channels: a direct-to-consumer website and physical retail stores, a B2B automated booking portal (dnata Representation Services – Land / dRS) targeting GCC travel agents, and a corporate travel management division serving clients in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Iraq. The company is the UAE's longest-serving travel provider with 60+ years of operating history and employs 5,001–10,000 people.
The underlying technology stack is a standard online travel booking platform comprising a B2C consumer portal, a B2B agent booking system with real-time availability and dynamic pricing, and supplementary modules including a wishlist feature, dnata Points loyalty program, and 0% Easy Payment Plans integrated with UAE bank partners. Revenue is generated primarily through commissions and margins on transactional flight, hotel, and holiday package bookings, with ancillary revenue from loyalty redemptions and partner integrations (Airalo eSIMs, Marhaba airport services, ENBD credit card point conversion). The UK business operates sub-brands Gold Medal and Travelbag, while Travel Republic and Netflights B2C brands were placed under closure in late 2025. No public revenue figures are disclosed and the company holds no external investors, being wholly owned by The Emirates Group (ultimately owned by the Government of Dubai).
dnata Travel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- dnata Travel
- Legal name
- dnata Travel
- Website
- https://dnatatravel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- dnata Travel is a Dubai-based travel distribution subsidiary of The Emirates Group, offering hotels, flights, and holiday packages to UAE consumers and GCC travel agents via B2C, B2B, and corporate channels across 300,000+ properties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
dnata Travel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Booking Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B OTA/White-Label Booking Platforms & Affiliate Networks (THAKAAAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online/Hybrid Corporate Travel Agencies (Self-Booking + Support) (THAKACAB)
Keywords
Where dnata Travel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
dnata Travel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Package Holidays and Travel Bookings: Revenue from commissions and margins on flight, hotel, and holiday package bookings made through the dnata Travel platform, both B2C (direct consumers) and B2B (travel agents)
- Holiday Package Sales: Pre-packaged and customized holiday bundles combining flights and hotels sold directly to consumers
- dnata Points Loyalty Program: Rewards program allowing customers to redeem dnata points on bookings, incentivizing repeat purchases and customer retention
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Maldives Holiday Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget Flight Destinations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium All-Inclusive Resorts |
| Other | Monthly | Easy Payment Plans |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
dnata Travel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
dnata Travel is a UAE-based travel agency and online booking platform that sells hotel reservations, flights, and pre-packaged or customized holiday packages to consumers via its website, mobile channels, and physical retail stores. It supplements these consumer services with a B2B booking portal (dnata Representation Services – Land) for GCC travel agents and a corporate travel management division serving enterprise clients across the Middle East. The platform aggregates access to 300,000+ hotel properties worldwide, supported by a 24/7 contact centre, dnata Points loyalty program, and 0% installment payment plans.
Product overview
dnata Travel operates as a comprehensive travel booking platform offering hotels, flights, and holiday packages to consumers through its main website (dnata Travel), while also serving the B2B market through dnata Representation Services – Land (dRS) with a B2B booking portal for travel agents. The platform integrates a portfolio of over 300,000+ hotel properties worldwide with flight booking capabilities, supported by supplementary services including dnata Points loyalty program, Easy Payment Plans, Airport Transfers, and Marhaba airport services. The company also operates dnata Travel Management for corporate travel solutions and offers themed holiday packages across destinations including Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, and regional UAE locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Gold Medal: UK-based travel brand operated by dnata Travel Group
- Travelbag
Products and services
- dnata Travel Hotel Booking Hotel booking service featuring over 300,000+ properties worldwide including beach resorts, city hotels, family-friendly resorts, and all-inclusive options, with handpicked recommendations and complimentary upgrades at select properties for individual consumers and travel agents.
- dnata Travel Flight Booking Flight booking service offering competitive prices on routes worldwide for individual consumers, with 24/7 customer support and integration with Emirates Group travel expertise.
- dnata Holiday Packages Package holiday service combining flights and hotels with flexible planning options, offering both custom-built itineraries and ready-made packages for destinations including Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Istanbul, and other regional and international locations.
- dnata Travel Management (Corporate Travel) Corporate travel management service providing technology-driven managed travel solutions for regional enterprise clients across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Iraq, overseen by a dedicated Divisional Vice President.
- dnata Representation Services – Land (dRS) B2B Booking Portal B2B automated booking platform for General Sales Agent products targeting GCC travel agents, replacing offline booking processes with real-time availability, dynamic pricing, and ancillary bundling capabilities.
Companies that use dnata Travel
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
dnata Travel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
dnata Travel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Thailand Tourist AuthoritycoreTourist board partnership promoting Thailand as a holiday destination through dnata Travel's booking platform, offering dedicated Thailand holiday packages
- Seychelles Tourism BoardcoreTourist board partnership promoting Seychelles islands through dnata Travel, featuring exclusive Seychelles holiday packages and deals
- Oman TourismcorePartnership promoting Oman as a cultural getaway destination through dnata Travel holiday packages
- Mauritius TourismcoreTourist board partnership featuring Mauritius beach holidays and resort packages through dnata Travel
- Maldives TourismcoreFeatured destination partnership for Maldives island holidays with special deals and Maldives Mega Sale promotions
- Sri Lanka TourismcoreTourist board partnership promoting Sri Lanka cultural and beach holidays through dnata Travel packages
- Emirates GroupcoreParent company affiliation providing dnata Travel with wealth of experience extending more than 60 years and a team of travel experts
- UAE Banks (Easy Payment Plans)minorPartnership with major UAE banks to offer 0% payment plans allowing customers to spread holiday costs
- ENBD Credit CardminorPartnership allowing World or Platinum cardholders to redeem dnata points on everyday purchases and holiday planning
- Airalo (eSIM)minorExclusive 15% discount for dnata customers on Airalo eSIMs for international connectivity in 200+ countries
- MarhabaminorAirport services partner offering chauffeur service, immigration fast-track, airport lounge access, and Meet & Greet services
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
dnata Travel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Almosafer: Saudi Arabia-based travel agency and OTA under Seera Group offering flights, hotels, holiday packages, and corporate travel across the GCC. Direct competitor to dnata Travel for outbound GCC leisure and corporate travel, with overlapping destinations (Maldives, Thailand) and similar B2C/B2B/corporate model.
- Musafir: UAE-headquartered online travel agency offering flights, hotels, holiday packages, and visa services. Closely comparable to dnata Travel in core UAE B2C market, product mix, and focus on outbound GCC leisure travel.
- Emirates Holidays: Holiday package brand operated by Emirates airline, offering flight-plus-hotel packages with Emirates flights globally. Effectively a sister brand within The Emirates Group ecosystem, competing for similar premium outbound travelers from the GCC.
Broad incumbents
- Booking.com: Global online travel agency leader with the largest hotel inventory worldwide and broad flight/package offerings. Competes with dnata Travel on hotel pricing, inventory breadth, and direct consumer bookings across all dnata Travel destinations.
- Expedia Group: Global OTA conglomerate operating Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, and corporate travel brands. Competes with dnata Travel in flight, hotel, and package bookings across GCC outbound markets and corporate travel management.
- Trip.com Group: Asia-headquartered global OTA with strong APAC flight and hotel inventory. Overlaps with dnata Travel on Asia outbound destinations (Thailand, Maldives, Sri Lanka) where dnata Travel has tourist board partnerships.
- American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT): Global corporate travel management company with strong Middle East presence. Competes with dnata Travel Management for corporate travel management contracts across GCC multinational and regional enterprise clients.
Emerging players
- Cleartrip: Middle East and India online travel platform owned by Flipkart Group, offering flights, hotels, and activities. Competes with dnata Travel on flight and hotel bookings particularly for UAE-based Indian and Asian diaspora travelers.
- Wego: Middle East-headquartered travel metasearch and OTA platform serving GCC and Southeast Asian markets. Competes with dnata Travel for online hotel and flight comparison shoppers in the UAE and broader GCC.
- MakeMyTrip: India's leading online travel company offering flights, hotels, holiday packages. Overlaps with dnata Travel on key outbound destinations from India to UAE and vice versa, and increasingly on GCC-based outbound Indian travelers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
dnata Travel social profiles
Digital presencednata Travel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
dnata Travel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
dnata Travel subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
dnata Travel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
dnata Travel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about dnata Travel
What does dnata Travel do?
dnata Travel is a UAE-based travel agency and online booking platform that sells hotel reservations, flights, and pre-packaged or customized holiday packages to consumers via its website, mobile channels, and physical retail stores. It supplements these consumer services with a B2B booking portal (dnata Representation Services – Land) for GCC travel agents and a corporate travel management division serving enterprise clients across the Middle East. The platform aggregates access to 300,000+ hotel properties worldwide, supported by a 24/7 contact centre, dnata Points loyalty program, and 0% installment payment plans.
Is dnata Travel a public or private company?
dnata Travel is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was dnata Travel founded?
dnata Travel was founded in 1959. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is dnata Travel based?
dnata Travel is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does dnata Travel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Package Holidays and Travel Bookings are the primary driver. The others are holiday Package Sales and dnata Points Loyalty Program.
Who are dnata Travel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Almosafer, Musafir and Emirates Holidays. Broad incumbents are Booking.com, Expedia Group, Trip.com Group and American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT). Emerging players are Cleartrip, Wego and MakeMyTrip.
Does dnata Travel have an API?
No public API is recorded for dnata Travel.
What industry is dnata Travel in?
dnata Travel's product category is Travel Booking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAAAO, B2B OTA/White-Label Booking Platforms & Affiliate Networks, with a secondary code of THAKACAB, Online/Hybrid Corporate Travel Agencies (Self-Booking + Support). Its NAICS code is 561510.