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Cruise Holidays revealed details of its first franchise agreement outside of North America with its first location in Dubai. The multi-location franchise agreement, signed by Murtaza (Monty) Kanani, was finalized at the end of October. The franchise will concentrate on cruise industry sales opportunities.
“Cruise Holidays and Kanani are ahead of the curve by setting up operations in Dubai in anticipation of unprecedented cruise industry growth planned for the region,” said Peter D. Thomson, vice president and COO of Cruise Holidays. “While many economies around the world struggle, Dubai continues to boom and cruising is about to experience exponential growth due in part to the construction of a new mega cruise terminal. Kanani’s proactive vision and Cruise Holiday’s franchise business model are the perfect combination to capitalize on this huge opportunity in the United Arab Emirates.”
Kanani has a successful background in the travel industry, most recently holding the position of managing director for Arabian Global Tourism & Travel— a Dubai travel agency offering customized travel and tourism packages for foreign and domestic travelers. The franchise agreement between Cruise Holidays and Kanani includes opening one store in early 2009 with long-term plans of opening several Cruise Holidays locations in the coming years.
“Cruising is a fairly new concept in Dubai; there are no cruise specialists” said Kanani. “We could be market leaders in the region with all new entrants playing catch up. This is a region with a high disposable income and a new cruise terminal is being built by the government which will be ready in 2010. For one who is established by then, there will be a sea of opportunity.”
Visit www.cruiseholidays.com.