dnata Travel

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).

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

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

• Travel booking platform
• Holiday packages
• Corporate travel management
• Hotel reservations
• Flight booking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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)
2. Holiday Package Sales: Pre-packaged and customized holiday bundles combining flights and hotels sold directly to consumers
3. dnata Points Loyalty Program: Rewards program allowing customers to redeem dnata points on bookings, incentivizing repeat purchases and customer retention

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thailand Tourist AuthoritycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTourist board partnership promoting Thailand as a holiday destination through dnata Travel's booking platform, offering dedicated Thailand holiday packages
• Seychelles Tourism BoardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTourist board partnership promoting Seychelles islands through dnata Travel, featuring exclusive Seychelles holiday packages and deals
• Oman TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership promoting Oman as a cultural getaway destination through dnata Travel holiday packages
• Mauritius TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTourist board partnership featuring Mauritius beach holidays and resort packages through dnata Travel
• Maldives TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured destination partnership for Maldives island holidays with special deals and Maldives Mega Sale promotions
• Sri Lanka TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTourist board partnership promoting Sri Lanka cultural and beach holidays through dnata Travel packages
• Emirates GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with major UAE banks to offer 0% payment plans allowing customers to spread holiday costs
• ENBD Credit CardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership allowing World or Platinum cardholders to redeem dnata points on everyday purchases and holiday planning
• Airalo (eSIM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive 15% discount for dnata customers on Airalo eSIMs for international connectivity in 200+ countries
• MarhabaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirport services partner offering chauffeur service, immigration fast-track, airport lounge access, and Meet & Greet services

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/dnata
• YouTubeyoutube.com/dnatatravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/dnatatravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dnata
• Instagraminstagram.com/dnatatravelchannels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dnata Travel