InteleTravel to expand into UAE under UK chief Tricia Handley-Hughes

InteleTravel is expanding into the United Arab Emirates as a source market, with UK and Ireland managing director Tricia Handley-Hughes set to add the region to her remit.

Group chief executive James Ferrara said operations in Dubai would be running by the end of the year, adding that a country manager would be installed in an office in the city.

“Tricia will lead the UAE programme,” he said. “It makes sense because such a high percentage of the population in the UAE are UK expats, so there are a lot of the same business considerations and some of the same suppliers, so it makes sense to have it under Tricia’s direction.

“Plus, Tricia’s results in the UK and Ireland have been spectacular, so we would like to replicate that elsewhere.”

He added: “We will have boots on the ground in the UAE, so we will be hiring a UAE country manager – just like we have in Ireland. We would like somebody from the community in the community, so we will have a UAE office there.”

During the group’s annual conference in Porto, he warned agents against “mixing markets”. UK agents must only sell to the UK market, he added.

The company is also set to expand into German-speaking markets next year.