Events & exhibitions
How to start a travel agency in Dubai
Travel agencies need a DET tourism licence with a bank guarantee, and inbound and outbound operations are licensed differently.
The market
What the sector actually looks like.
Dubai received 19.59 million international visitors in 2025 and is a major outbound market in its own right, with a large expatriate population travelling home regularly. Both inbound and outbound demand are substantial and they are licensed differently.
Figures on this page
Dubai received 19.59 million international visitors in 2025, a third consecutive record year.
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, 2025
How the business actually makes money
Commission on bookings, which airlines have compressed relentlessly. Service fees and packaging are how agencies replace lost airline commission. Corporate travel management provides volume and contracted fees; leisure is more price-sensitive and competes with online booking directly. The bank guarantee is working capital you cannot deploy, which is a real cost of being in the business.
Why here
Regional advantages
Large outbound expatriate market
A population that travels home regularly generates consistent, repeat, relationship-driven demand.
Record inbound visitor numbers
19.59 million visitors supports inbound handling, transfers and excursions.
Corporate travel volume
A dense corporate population with regional travel needs sustains business travel management.
And the other side
Regional disadvantages
The bank guarantee is capital you cannot use
It is frequently the largest single item in the setup and it sits idle.
Airline commission has been squeezed for years
The traditional revenue model has eroded. Agencies that have not replaced it with service fees struggle.
Direct online booking competes for the same customer
Leisure customers can book everything themselves. Agencies must add genuine value or lose on price.
Why this is different
Not just events & exhibitions.
The bank guarantee is a real capital requirement, and IATA accreditation — if you want to issue tickets directly — is a separate process with its own financial criteria.
Approvals beyond the trade licence
DET travel agency licence, bank guarantee, IATA accreditation for ticketing, and tour operator permissions for inbound programmes.
Where to license it
The events & exhibitions activity in full · The general setup guide
Questions
A DET travel agency licence with a bank guarantee. Inbound and outbound operations are licensed differently, and IATA accreditation for direct ticketing is a separate process.
It is set by the licensing authority and is typically the largest single setup item. Confirm the current amount before budgeting — it is capital you cannot deploy elsewhere.
Airline commission has been heavily compressed. Profitable agencies now rely on service fees, packaging and corporate travel management rather than commission alone.
One question
Who will be paying your invoices?
Inbound tourism is domestic supply — the visitor is served here — so this rarely points where founders expect. Outbound travel services are the genuine export case.
Compare the two routesOr just ask usEmirate tourism licensing applies, plus per-event or per-activity permits. The annual licence does not cover the activities you run under it.
Compare the two routesOr just ask usInbound and outbound operations are licensed differently, and an agency doing both usually needs both permissions rather than one broad licence.
Answer five questions insteadOr just ask us