This archive report was first published on 11 November 2021.
Emirates Airline has been a major contributor to the six-month-long Dubai Expo 2020, leveraging the event to increase traffic and boost returns.
With the buzz around the ongoing Expo, Emirates Kenya Country Manager Christophe Leloup spoke about several initiatives unveiled to create awareness of the event.
According to Leloup, the airline currently facilitates direct flights to 71 countries, out of the 191 countries that have confirmed their participation in the Expo.
"This brought about large volumes of traffic that the airline took advantage of," he said.
Emirates launched a campaign featuring mega-celebrity Chris Hemsworth, which has already generated excitement and additional awareness for the Expo.
The airline also offered Kenyans subsidized fares, allowing families booking tickets to Dubai to pay 25 percent of the adult fare for kids aged 2 to 11 years old, as well as a 20 percent Early Bird offer.
Additionally, Kenyans would be able to earn 1 Skywards Mile for every 1 minute spent in Dubai until 31 March 2022.
"Currently forward bookings are looking very encouraging and many countries are easing their travel restrictions," Leloup said.
The airline further took the expo as an opportunity to bolster trade and tourism with other countries and signed various partnerships, including an MoU between Emirates and the Ministry of Tourism Maldives and with the Seychelles Tourism Board.
On whether the expo would be the end of all the offers rolled out, Leloup commented that this was the beginning of more of what they have to offer to customers.
