7 Ways to Save on Quad Bike Dubai Rentals This Weekend
Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
7 Ways to Save on Quad Bike Dubai Rentals This Weekend
Dubai's red dunes are calling, but the price of an ATV session can jump fast once you add transfers, gear, and peak-time demand. The good news: with a bit of planning, you can ride this weekend without overpaying-and without cutting corners on safety. Here are seven practical, Dubai-specific ways to keep more dirhams in your pocket.
1) Compare and book smart (then stack a code)
Check at least three sources before you commit: the operator's own site or WhatsApp, a major OTA (Klook, GetYourGuide, Viator), and a local deals site (Cobone, Groupon UAE). Operators often match or beat third-party prices if you ask.
Search “Dubai quad bike promo code” for stackable discounts; newsletters from Klook/GetYourGuide frequently send 5–10% weekend codes.
If you buy a voucher on Cobone/Groupon, message the operator to confirm the exact slot before purchasing. Some deals restrict prime sunset times.
2) Ride off-peak within the weekend
Within Saturday–Sunday, early morning (around sunrise) is usually cheaper than sunset, and the sand is cooler and firmer-great for beginners.
If you can be flexible, ask for a “last-minute fill” price the day before; operators sometimes discount remaining inventory for less popular time slots.
3) Trim the transfer cost
Hotel pickups can add AED 50–100 per person. If you're a group, renting a car for a day or sharing a taxi to the start point near Lahbab/Al Badayer can be cheaper overall.
If you prefer a package with transport, look for shared-shuttle options or bundle it with a desert safari where transfers are included at little or no extra cost.
4) Leverage group, resident, and card offers
Ask about group rates; many operators drop the per-rider price from four people upward or throw in extra minutes.
UAE residents and students sometimes get 5–10% off-bring ID.
Check The Entertainer app for 2‑for‑1s on adventure activities; some partners include ATV or dune rides.
Certain bank cards (Emirates NBD, Mashreq, FAB) and Visa/Mastercard seasonal campaigns run merchant-specific discounts or cashback-worth a quick check.
5) Avoid expensive add-ons and upsells
Bring your own essentials: scarf/buff, sunglasses or goggles, gloves, and water. On-site versions are often marked up.
Skip paid photo packages and ask staff to snap a few shots with your phone.
Confirm what's included: fuel, helmet, and basic goggles are often standard. Decline unnecessary insurance add-ons if the operator's waiver already covers the activity terms.
6) Pick the right machine and package for your goal
Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
Don't overpay for power you won't use. A 250cc quad is fine for casual dunes; 350–400cc costs more and mainly benefits experienced riders.
Bundles can save: a desert safari with a 20–30 minute quad add-on is often cheaper than booking a full standalone hour if you mainly want a taste. If your priority is riding time, a dedicated 60-minute ATV session usually gives better value per minute.
If you're two people, compare a double-seat quad (or a shared turn on a single) versus a 2-seater dune buggy-buggies are pricier but sometimes deliver better value if you're sharing one vehicle.
7) Protect your deposit and minutes
Choose operators with clear no-deposit or refundable-deposit policies; hidden “damage fees” can erase any savings.
On arrival, do a quick walkaround video of the quad (time-stamped), note existing scratches, and confirm the exact ride duration before you start. Quad Bike Dubai Group Tours – Because screaming together builds friendships faster. Ask when the clock begins.
Know the age rules: many places require drivers to be 16+ for ATVs; underage riders might be turned away or shifted to a passenger-only option-costly if nonrefundable.
Typical price checkpoints
30 minutes on a standard quad: about AED 150–250
60 minutes: about AED 250–400
Private hotel transfer add-on: AED 50–100 per person (varies by location and group size) Prices fluctuate by season and demand; use them as a sanity check when comparing.
Quick weekend game plan
Tonight: shortlist three operators with strong recent reviews; message each on WhatsApp for their best early-morning price and any resident/group/card discounts.
Check Entertainer/Cobone/Klook for stackable deals; book the cheapest confirmed slot.
Arrange your own transport if it saves your group money, and pack your scarf, gloves, and water.
Do this, and you'll carve those red dunes with a full-throttle grin and a bill that feels a lot lighter.
Quad Biking Dubai Guided Desert Tour – We lead, you enjoy, dunes approve.
Skyline of Downtown Dubai; Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is visible at the center
The economy of Dubai's gross domestic product of the calendar year 2023 as of January 2024 is AED 429 billion ($USD 116.779 billion).[1] Dubai has substantially transformed over the last couple of decades.[2] More than 90% of the population are foreigners.[2]
The International Herald Tribune described it as "centrally-planned free-market capitalism".[3] Oil production, which once accounted for 50% of Dubai's gross domestic product, contributes less than 1% today.[4] In 2018, wholesale and retail trade represented 26% of the total GDP; transport and logistics, 12%; banking, insurance activities and capital markets, 10%; manufacturing, 9%; real estate, 7%; construction, 6%; tourism, 5%.[5][6]
Dubai became important ports of call for Western manufacturers. Most of the new city's banking and financial centres were headquartered in the port area. Dubai maintained its importance as a trade route through the 1970s and 1980s. The city of Dubai has a free trade in gold and until the 1990s was the hub of a "brisk smuggling trade" of gold ingots to India, where gold import was restricted.
Dubai has sought to boost itself as a tourism destination by building hotels and developing real estate. Port Jebel Ali, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbor in the world, but is also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance, with the new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Emirates airline was founded by the government in 1985 and is still state-owned; based at Dubai International Airport, it carried over 49.7 million passengers in 2015.[7] The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city in hopes of giving a boost to Dubai property. Internet access is restricted in most areas of Dubai with a proxy server filtering out sites deemed to be against cultural and religious values of the UAE.
Due to financial secrecy, low taxes, and valuable real estate, Dubai is an appealing destination for money launderers, criminals, corrupt political figures and sanctioned businesspeople to launder or hide money.[8][2][9][10][11][12]
During the 2008 financial crisis, Dubai almost defaulted and, therefore, was obliged to downsize and restructure suffering state entities. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in 2019 that Dubai's debt exceeded 100% of its GDP. Abu Dhabi rolled over a bailout loan of $20 billion to Dubai to save it.[13][14][15]
Corporations
[edit]
During the first quarter of 2015, Dubai saw a 12.5% rise in the number of new registered companies as 9,317 new firms registered with the Dubai Trade, and this had brought the total number of registered companies in Dubai to 106,000.[16]
Between January and August 2017, Dubai issued licenses for 249,000 businesses, making up 46.8% of the total number of licenses issued across the UAE during that period.[17][18]
Main economic drivers
[edit]
Travel and tourism
[edit]
Main article: Tourism in Dubai
Tourism is a major economic source of income in Dubai and part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirates.[19] The tourism sector contributed in 2017 about $41 billion to the GDP, making up 4.6% of the GDP, and provided some 570,000 jobs, accounting for 4.8% of total employment.[20] The contribution of the sector to the GDP rose by 138% during the years 2007-2017.[20]
The Dubai International Airport (DXB) recorded 83.6 million passengers in 2016,[20][21] and 14.9 million visitors stayed in Dubai hotels in the same year, a rise of 5% from 2015.[22][23]
Since the Abraham Accords peace agreement was signed on Sept. 15, 2020, over 50,000 Israelis visited the UAE as daily direct flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai were operated even during the COVID-19 pandemic as the two countries declared each other ‘green zones,' sparing travellers the quarantine periods.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] On Dec. 26, 2020, an order signed by Israel's Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy went into effect, requiring all returnees from Dubai to enter a 14-day quarantine.[31][32]
Real estate and property
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
The government's decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy[33] to one that is service- and tourism-oriented resulted in the property boom from 2004 to 2008.[citation needed] Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.[34] The property boom is largely driven by megaprojects such as the off-shore Palm Islands and The World, and the inland Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa complex, Dubai Waterfront, Business Bay, Dubailand and Jumeirah Village.
The Palm Jumeirah, the world's largest man-made island
Dubai is home to skyscrapers such as Emirates Towers, which are the 12th and 24th tallest buildings in the world,[citation needed] and the Burj-al-Arab hotel, located on its artificial island and currently the world's fifth tallest[35] and most expensive[citation needed] hotel.
Emaar Properties constructed the world's current tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa. The height of the skyscraper is 828 m (2,716.5 ft) tall, with 163 floors. Adjacent to Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, which at the time of construction was the world's largest shopping mall.[citation needed]
Also under construction is what is planned to become Dubai's new central business district, named Business Bay. The project, when completed, will feature 500 skyscrapers built around an artificial extension of the existing Dubai Creek. [citation needed]
In February 2005, the construction of Dubai Waterfront was announced, it will be 2½ times the size of Washington, D.C., roughly seven times the size of the island of Manhattan. Dubai Waterfront will be a mix of canals and islands full of hotels and residential areas that will add 800 km (500 mi) of man-made waterfront. It will also contain Al Burj, another one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Dubai has also launched Dubai Science Park (previously DuBiotech and merged with EnPark). This is a new business park to be targeted at biotechnology companies working in pharmaceuticals, medical fields, genetic research and biodefense.
One of Dubai's plans in 2006 was for a 30-story, 200-apartment skyscraper that will slowly rotate at its base, making a 360-degree revolution once a week. The world's first rotating skyscraper was to be in the center of the Dubailand complex.[36]
There are over 300 stores in the Gold Souk.
The International Media Production Zone is a project targeted at creating a hub for printers, publishers, media production companies, and related industry segments. Launched in 2003, the project was scheduled to be completed in 2006.
In May 2006 the Bawadi was announced, with a planned 27 billion US-dollar investment intended to increase Dubai's number of hotel rooms by 29,000, doubling it from the current figure offers now. The largest complex was to be called "Asia, Asia" and was planned to be the largest hotel in the world with more than 6,500 rooms.[citation needed]
The first villa freehold properties that were occupied by non-UAE nationals were The Meadows, The Springs, and The Lakes (high-end neighborhoods designed by Emaar Properties, collectively called Emirates Hills).
Expatriates of various nationalities brought capital into Dubai in the early 2000s. Iranian expatriates were estimated to have invested up to $200 billion in Dubai.[37] From 2005 to 2009, trade between Dubai and Iran tripled to $12 billion.[38]
Dubai nationals have also purchased real estate in New York City and London. Purchases in 2005 included New York's 230 Park Avenue (formerly known as the New York Central Building or the Helmsley Building) and Essex House on Central Park South.[39]
The Dubai property boom of the mid-2000s peaked in 2008 and plummeted in a wave of activity that saw large-scale projects, including partially completed properties, abandoned. Many developers failed, while others, including those with government backing, entered into debt-restructuring deals with their lenders. By 2012 the market began picking up steam again. 2013 was a stellar year with prices accelerating significantly, however, the government and industry players began putting in place measures that would safeguard against another bubble developing. One notable difference is the number of cash buyers compared to those in previous years who borrowed heavily. Part of the reason for the current cash surge is the influx of investment from troubled countries.[40]
In September 2013, the Dubai Land Department increased property transfer fees from 2 to 4%.[41] In early 2014 the government regulator imposed restrictions on outside-companies acquiring real estate in the emirate, insisting such companies had to have a presence in Dubai, and had to be owned by a natural person or persons, and not by another company. The measures were largely seen as a means to dampen speculation in property prices.[42]
Major real estate companies in Dubai actively attract new investors from abroad, concluding partnerships with real estate portals and investment foundations. In 2018, Ellington Properties signed a partnership with Beike, one of the major China real estate listing portals. As per the agreement, Beike "will build awareness of Ellingtons premium Dubai real estate offering to Chinese investors"[43]
In July 2019, more than 500 people lost their jobs following an economic downfall observed in the second quarter of 2019, following which Jumeirah Group LLC implemented job cuts. Dubai's economy weighs in on its tourism sector. Hotel occupancy fell to 67% in the second quarter of 2019, the lowest second-quarter occupancy since 2009.[44] JLL predicted at the time that "further declines in performance are expected over the next 12 months before the hotel market recovers on the back of strong visitor arrivals growth associated with Expo 2020."[45]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate prices and overall demand for property dropped in 2020. Cavendish Maxwell, a realty consultancy, found that apartment prices in Dubai fell 12% from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020.[46] In contrast, the estate agent firm Chestertons saw the rental market perform better, with an average decrease of only 1.5% in apartment rental prices in Q1 2020.[47]
In January 2023, it was reported that Dubai's property transactions hit a record high by the end of 2022, which surpassed the records of the year 2009. The hike was said to be partly a result of Dubai capitalizing on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Waves of Russian nationals were said to have flooded Dubai to reside and invest their capital into the Emirates property market, safeguarding it from international sanctions. Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of DAMAC claimed that an estimated 15% of his customers constituted of Russian nationals.[48]
Property prices in Dubai increased following the February 2022 Ukraine invasion, as wealthy Russian nationals started making high investments in the Emirati real estate. The EU Tax Observatory and Norway's Centre for Tax Research revealed that Russian Investment in Dubai's developing and in-development properties since 2022 was around $6.3 billion. Knight Frank claimed that Dubai property prices increased 124% since 2020. Real estate experts revealed that rising property prices forced British expatriates to search property somewhere else, including nearby places like Ras Al Khaimah.[49]
In February 2025, it was asserted that Dubai could face issues as its popularity led to increasing tourist arrivals and growing population in the state. There was a record hike in real estate transactions and in bookings on the Emirates airline. Consequently, the congestion in Dubai worsened and property prices also went up. In 2024, rental prices increased by 20% in some key resident areas. Thomas Edelmann, managing director of the RoadSafetyUAE, said convincing and getting people to Dubai is easier than building the new intersection or highways.[50]
Transport
[edit]
The transport sector is one of the main drivers of economic growth in Dubai.[51] The value of the transport and storage sector reached $12.5 billion in 2017, accounting for 11.2% of Dubai's economy.[52][53]
In 2018, the sector was the second-largest contributor to the total GDP, contributing $48.8 billion to GDP - 12.3% of the total GDP, an increase of 2.1% from $47.7 billion in 2017.[51]
Construction
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
Since 2000, Dubai's municipality has initiated construction phases in the city, predominantly in the Mina Seyahi area, located further from Jumeirah, towards Jebel Ali.[54] This has come at a cost however. Dubai ( and UAE ) construction companies employ low-wage labourers from Asia for up to 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week.[55] These workers often have their passports withheld and are threatened if they speak to media. During the 1990s and 2000s, many workers staged protests and those who were expats were deported.[56][57]
In 2002 a change was made to the law allowing non-nationals of the UAE to own property (not land) in Dubai as fee simple, and 99-year leases are sold to people with ownership remaining with private companies. Property companies include Nakheel Properties, Emaar Properties and Ellington Properties. Rent rises were capped at 7% per annum up to 2007 under a directive from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Legislation in this area is still developing as the property market for foreigners is relatively new.
Property prices in Dubai have experienced a downfall since 2014. A difference of more than 25 percent has been noted. More than two-year ago Dubai's Creek Tower construction started, but no completion date is in sight yet. A cutback on the construction project has come into the scene since followed by realty developers postponing supplier payments. Consultancy firms like JLL cite the falling property prices to continue in 2019.[58] Despite the economic slump and a relatively slower growth expectation, the estimated cost of Expo 2020 construction has reached AED38 billion ($10.3 billion).[59]
Information and communication technology
[edit]
The information and communications technology (ICT) sector accounted for 4.1% of Dubai's real GDP in 2018.[60]
Diamonds
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
Dubai is one of the world's largest diamond trading hubs alongside Antwerp.[61][62][63] It handled in $35 billion worth of rough and polished diamonds in 2010, a surge from $3 million a decade earlier.[64][65] In the first half of 2011, Dubai traded $25.3 billion, a 55% rise from the first half of 2010.[66][67]
Dubai Marina Mall interior
Dubai has become the world's third largest diamond trading hub, with trade of rough and cut diamonds increasing since 2001. The emirate's diamond trade was virtually nonexistent at the beginning of the 2000s, but was worth nearly $35 billion in 2013 and 2014.[68] The emirate has been able to leverage off its geographical position between major supplies of mined diamonds in Africa, to the main cutting centres in India and further east in China. There is also a perception of Dubai as a buying hub for consumers of diamonds jewellery, due to the large number of jewellers in the emirate and the tax-free business regime.[68] The customs duties of 1% in 2011 contributed to the UAE's competing with traditional diamond centers.[22] In 2018, the UAE rolled back the 5% value added tax (VAT) for wholesale diamond investors.[69][70][71]
The diamond trading takes on an exchange managed by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, with many of the industry participants housed in office space in the Almas Tower in the JLT business cluster.[72] Facilities there include Kimberley Process Certification offices and access to secure transportation agencies such as Brinks and Transguard, in addition to networking and meeting rooms.[73][unreliable source?] The DMCC houses over a thousand precious stone companies, both Emirati and foreign.[74][75][76]
In September 2019, the Dubai Multi Commodities Center launched the world's largest trading floor, with 41 fully-secured tables and high-level security measures, at the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) in the Almas Tower.[22]
Right after the UAE-Israeli accord, Israeli diamond trader Zvi Shimshi launched a company in Dubai and 37 other Israeli contacted the DMCC to establish a presence in Dubai.[77] Later in 2020, the DMCC launched a representative outpost in the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) to strengthen trading relations between the two markets and help Israeli businesses establish a presence in Dubai.[78]
Gold
[edit]
See also: Dubai Gold Souk
Trade in gold grew during the 1940s due to Dubai's free trade policies that encouraged entrepreneurs from India and Iran to set up stores in the Dubai Gold Souk. Despite a general slump in the global gold market, Dubai's share of value of trade in gold and diamonds to its total non-oil direct trade increased from 18% in 2003, to 24% in 2004. In 2003, the value of trade in gold in Dubai was approximately Dh. 21 billion (US$5.8 billion), while trade in diamonds was approximately Dh. 25 billion (US$7 billion) in 2005. India is Dubai's largest buyer of gold, accounting for approximately 23% of the emirate's total gold trade in 2005. Switzerland was Dubai's largest supplier of gold ingots, wastes and scrap. Similarly, India accounted for approximately 68% of all diamond-related trade in Dubai; Belgium's share in Dubai's diamond trade was about 13% (2005).[79]
In 2014, Dubai, accounted for about 25% of the world's annual gold trade, competing with Shanghai and London.[80]
A June 2019 report by The Wall Street Journal reported, the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sold 7.4 tons of gold ingots, worth $300 million through illicit channels to evade United States sanctions. In March 2019, the billions passed through African Gold Refinery (AGR) in Uganda, and were later exported to Dubai.[81]
A Reuters investigation in 2019 revealed that billions of dollars' worth of gold was smuggled from Africa to Dubai.[82][83] As per customs data retrieved by Reuters, the UAE imported $15.1 billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, a surge from $1.3 billion in 2006. However, much of the exported gold was not recorded by African states.[83]
The London Bullion Market Association (LMBA) threatened in a Nov. 2020 letter to ban countries with large gold markets, including the UAE, from entering the mainstream market if they fail to meet regulatory standards.[84] While the letter did not specify a center, four people involved in drafting it said its main focus was the gold industry in Dubai.[84]
The UAE became a major trade hub for Russian gold, following the international sanctions affecting Moscow's export routes. The largest handlers of Russian Gold exports to the UAE was a Dubai subsidiary of French Logistics, Temis Luxury Middle East. It imported 15.6 tonnes valued at $863 million midway of 24 February 2022 and 3 March 2023. Other largest handlers of gold shipped in the UAE in the year to 3 March 2023 included Shams Gold Trading with 8 tonnes, Privilege Group DMCC with 7.5 tonnes, Al Aseel Jewellery LLC with 5.3 tonnes and Paloma Precious DMC with 5.1 tonnes.[85]
Industry and manufacturing
[edit]
Dubai is also home to some significant industrial ventures in energy production through DEWA,[86] although this is primarily water and power production for Dubai. In the aluminum industry Emirates Global Aluminum produces 2.4 million tonnes of aluminum per year (~$3.8B USD in revenue). Investments were made in car manufacturing with Zarooq Motors; the start of UAE car industry. Production and sales were due to begin in 2016 but seem to have run into some trouble insofar as no cars have actually been manufactured.[87] Dubai Ports is also an example of industrialization in Dubai.
Foreign investment
[edit]
In 2002, Dubai allowed foreigners to own real estate, and the global real estate consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle named Dubai, along with Dublin and Las Vegas, its "World Winning City," a research program aimed at identifying the future's most attractive property markets.[88]
Dubai's Department of Economic Development issued on June 3, 2021 guidelines stating that it was no longer compulsory for foreign investors to have Emirati partners or specify a quota ratio for them, which means that foreigners have been allowed full ownership of businesses in Dubai, in order to boost the economy after the COVID-19 recession.[89][90] As soon as the decision was issued in June 2021, investors in Dubai took advantage of it.[89][91][90]
COVID-19 impact
[edit]
Capital Economics, a UK-based consultancy firm, described Dubai as "the most vulnerable of the economies in the Middle East and North Africa to the economic damage from such (lockdown) measures" and speculated that the emirate's economy would "contract by at least 5-6%" in 2020 if the measures were still in force until the summer.[92]
The COVID-19 pandemic led to several years of declining revenues for Dubai's most important sectors.[92]
In April 2020, an estimate of 70% of Dubai's companies expected to go out of business by November 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a survey by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.[93] Half of the restaurants and hotels included in the survey, as well as about 74% of travel and tourism companies and 30% of transport, storage, and communications companies, expected to go out of business within a month.[93]
Expo 2020, which was expected to attract 25 million visitors to Dubai, stimulate the economy, and mark the start of 50 years of achievements, was postponed to Oct. 1, 2021 due to the pandemic and associated travel restrictions.[94]
See also
[edit]
Cities portal
United Arab Emirates portal
Dubai World
Economy of the United Arab Emirates
Human rights in the United Arab Emirates
The National Sukuk Program
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^Auken, Bill Van. "United Arab Emirates: Over 600 construction workers arrested after protest". Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
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^Staff. "Dubai's diamond trade surges - Business - Economy and Finance - Emirates24|7". www.emirates247.com. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
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External links
[edit]
Media related to Economy of Dubai at Wikimedia Commons
UAE Banking Digest
About Travel agency
Retailer that provides tourism-related services
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate.(August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Allamanda Voyages travel agency in ParisTravel agency in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilTravel agency in Taiwan
A travel agency is a private retailer or public service that provides travel and tourism-related services to the general public on behalf of accommodation or travel suppliers to offer different kinds of travel packages for each destination.
Travel agencies can provide outdoor recreation, arranging logistics for luggage and medical items delivery for travellers upon request, public transport timetables, car rentals, and bureau de change services. Travel agencies can also serve as general sales agents for airlines that do not have offices in a specific region. A travel agency's main function is to act as an agent, selling travel products and services on behalf of a supplier. They are also called Travel Advisors. They do not keep inventory in-hand unless they have pre-booked hotel rooms or cabins on a cruise ship for a group travel event, such as a wedding, honeymoon, or other group event.
In the decades after World War II, travel and migration agencies also played a role in assisting international migration, alongside state programmes and intergovernmental organisations such as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM, now the International Organization for Migration.).[1]
Business model
[edit]
Travel agencies often receive commissions and other benefits and incentives from providers or may charge a fee to the end users.[2] Hotel owners and tour operators typically pay a higher commission rate to travel agencies, whereas airlines typically pay no commission.[3] The customer is normally not made aware of how much the travel agent is earning in commissions and other benefits.[4] A 2016 survey of 1,193 travel agents in the United States found that on average 78% of their revenue was from commissions and 22% was generated from fees.[5]
Accreditation number
[edit]
Travel agencies are recognized by vendors through their accreditation numbers. In the United States, the main accreditation numbers are issued by Airline Reporting Corporation, Cruise Lines International Association, International Air Transport Association.
If more than one travel agency is booking under the same accreditation number, the agency of record is called a host agency.[6] This is a popular model in the United States, with surveys show anywhere from 43-85% of leisure agencies now booking under a host agency.[7][8][9]
Travel technology
[edit]
Travel agencies use the services of the major computer reservations systems, also known as global distribution systems (GDS), including: Amadeus CRS, Galileo GDS, Sabre, and Worldspan, which is a subsidiary of Travelport, which allow for comparison and sorting of hotel and flight rates with multiple companies.[10] Bookings made via travel agents, including online travel agents, may or may not be confirmed instantly. Unlike online travel agencies, metasearch engines and scraper sites, such as Skyscanner, Kayak.com, Rome2rio, and TripAdvisor, travel agencies may or may not have their own booking engine, and instead provide results for search queries and then divert traffic to service providers or online travel agencies for booking.[11][12][13][14] Travel agents may also work with airline consolidators.[15][16]
Some companies use technology to promote sustainable tourism and bring carbon-neutrality.[17]
Types of travel agencies
[edit]
Traditional travel agencies
[edit]
A traditional travel agent may work for a travel agency or work freelance.[18][19][20] Many traditional agents prefer the term "travel advisor" as opposed to "travel agent" to emphasize their advice, expertise, and connections that are of great value.[21] While most point-to-point travel is now booked online, traditional agents specialize in niche markets such as corporate travel, luxury travel, cruises, complicated and important trips, and specialty trips.[22] Other niche markets for traditional travel agencies include travelers with disabilities, travelers over the age of 60, women traveling alone, LGBT tourism,[23] or a particular group interested in a similar activity, such as a sport.[24][25]
Franchise travel agencies
[edit]
Helloworld Travel is an example of a franchised travel agency, giving agents access to internal systems for product and bookings.[26]
Online travel agencies
[edit]
A online travel agency (OTA) uses a platform business model to generate revenue. The Expedia Group is the largest OTA globally. Booking Holdings is the second largest OTA.[27]
Licensing
[edit]
In many countries, all travel agencies are required to be licensed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).[28] Many are also bonded and represented by IATA, and, for those that issue air tickets, the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) in the United Kingdom, and the Airlines Reporting Corporation in the United States also serve those purposes.[29] ABTA – The Travel Association the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), represent travel agencies in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States respectively.[30][31]
History
[edit]
In 1758, Cox & Kings became the first travel agency in modern history.[32][33]
In 1840, the Abreu Agency was established in Porto by Bernardo Abreu, becoming the world's first agency to open its services to the public.
A Thomas Cook travel agency in the United Kingdom, which ceased operating in 2019.
In 1841, Thomas Cook, a Baptist preacher who believed that alcohol was to blame for social problems, reached an agreement with the Midland Railway to organize the transportation of 500 members of his temperance movement from the Leicester Campbell Street railway station to a rally in Loughborough in exchange for a commission.[34][35] He formed Thomas Cook & Son, which later became The Thomas Cook Group. It filed bankruptcy and underwent liquidation in 2019.[36]
In 1871, Dean and Dawson was founded in the United Kingdom and in the 1950s, it was acquired by Thomas Cook.[37]
In 1870, the Polytechnic Touring Association was founded in the United Kingdom.
In 1887, Walter T. Brownell established Brownell Travel, the first travel agency in the United States, and led 10 travelers on a European tour setting sail from New York on the SS Devonia.[38]
In 1895, Baldwins Travel was founded by Alfred K Baldwin, originally a printer, bookbinder and publisher in Tunbridge Wells. Baldwins begins selling railway tickets and helping friends to travel to Europe and beyond. News spreads and the former printers slowly build a strong side-line in travel at the back of the Baldwins Stationery shop at 27 Grosvenor Road.[39]
In 1905, Nippon Travel Agency became the first travel agency in Japan.[40]
Originally, travel agencies largely catered to middle and upper-class customers but they became more commonplace with the development of commercial aviation.
In 1923, after being treated badly by a British travel agency, K. P. Chen formed what became the China Travel Service, the first travel agency in China.[41]
The industry suffered during World War II. However, the Post–World War II economic expansion in mass-market package tours resulted in the proliferation of travel agencies catering to the working class.[42]
In 1929, Intourist was formed as the official state travel agency of the Soviet Union, with the goal of convincing outsiders to visit the country.[43]
In 1931, the US trade organization ASTA (originally the American Steamship and Tourist Agents Association, now the American Society of Travel Advisors) was created.[44]
During the Cold War, travel agents were used by people from Western countries to travel behind the Iron Curtain.[45]
In the early Cold War period, new intergovernmental programmes helped organise and subsidise long-distance migration from Europe, including the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe (PICMME), renamed the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM). In some countries, travel and migration agencies viewed these programmes as both competition and a source of new business opportunities, as the administration of passports, consular procedures, medical checks, and transport became more bureaucratised and commercially mediated.[46]
In 1951, the precursor to Helloworld Travel became one of the first travel agencies in Australia.
In 1955, Henderson Travel Service in Atlanta, Georgia became the first African-American-owned travel company and the first to take large groups of black American tourists to Africa.[47][48]
A Keihäsmatkat advertisement from Rhodes in 1971.
In the early 1980s, American Airlines' Sabre unit created a direct-to-consumer booking tool[clarification needed] for flights, hotels and cars called eAAsySabre.[49]
In 1989, with the liberalization of travel for South Koreans, Mode Tour became the first travel agency in the country.[50]
In 1991, Hotel Reservations Network, the precursor of Hotels.com, was founded. At first, hotels did not pay much in commissions.[49]
With the advent of the internet, travel agencies migrated online and underwent disintermediation by the reduction in costs caused by removing layers from the package holiday distribution network.[51]
In 1994, Travelweb.com launched as the first online directory of hotels.[52]
In 1995, Internet Travel Network sold the first airline ticket via the World Wide Web.[52]
In October 1996, Expedia.com, funded with hundreds of millions of dollars by Microsoft launched as the first large online travel agency.[49]
At the same time, Cheapflights started as a listing service for flight deals from consolidators.[49]
In 1998, Lastminute.com was founded in the United Kingdom.[52]
In 1999, Expedia went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. From 1999 to 2006, the number of travel agents in the United States plunged from 124,000 to 88,000 as many Americans switched to making their own travel arrangements online.[53]
Also in 1999, European airlines began eliminating or reducing commissions,[54] while Singapore Airlines did so in parts of Asia. In 2002, several airlines in the United States did the same, which led to an unsuccessful lawsuit alleging collusion among the airlines, that was decided on appeal in 2009.[55][56]
In 2007, the launch of the iPhone and related mobile apps increased travel bookings made online.[52]
In 2008, the launch of Airbnb created an online marketplace for spare bedrooms and apartments.[52]
In 2011, the launch of HotelTonight highlighted instantaneous same-day hotel room booking.[52]
In 2021, travel agency Baldwins Travel Group, which was founded in 1895 was bought by business group[57] Inc & Co.
Outlook
[edit]
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, there were 66,300 people who were employed as travel agents for their full-time jobs. That number is projected to increase by 3% over the next 10 years. In 2022, the BLS lists the median travel agent salary as $46,400 per year.[58]
Host Agency Reviews lists employee salaries by compensation structure, listing the 2022 income for travel agents that earn salary + commissions (25% of travel advisor employees) at $88,909, those that earn salary/hourly only at $50,792 (44% of employee travel agents), and commission only travel employees at $21,932 (31%).[59]
However, job prospects should be best for travel agents who specialize in specific destinations or particular types of travelers.
Several reports show that the number of people using travel agents to book travel has been increasing.[60][61][62][63]
See also
[edit]
Travel agency at Wikipedia's sister projects
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Destination marketing organization
Hotel consolidator
Tour guide
Tour operator
Tourism minister
References
[edit]
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Lots of fun driving a buggy in dunes. I would recommend one of the more powerful models. We got a 1000 cc turbo model with 2 seats and it is a really fun machine. Guide Mohsen is super kind, knowledgeable, helpful and takes great photos/videos.
There was a confusion regarding our buggy model, but this was resolved quickly after me pointing out the mistake.
We had no accidents, so I don’t know how the company handles such situations. Keep in mind that there is no insurance which covers damages caused by the driver, so you might be liable for full price of recovery.
From over the phone booking to the pick up on time and the drive in the buggy this company was excellent.
We booked a buggy between us and for my friend who was over from the UK it was the highlight of his stay.
When we went online other companies were charging way more for the same experience so we are so lucky to have found this company.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants to experience driving over the dunes.
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates