The initiatives span destination marketing, accommodation, flights and travel technology, reflecting Trip.com Group’s continued investment in the region and its ambition to connect travellers in the Middle East with the world, while helping international travellers discover the region. 

Trip.com Group continues to grow its network through strategic partnerships with tourism authorities and industry players across the region. At the same time, the Group is applying its global reach, technology, content and AI capabilities to help partners reach travellers globally and make it easier for consumers to discover, plan and book their journeys.  

Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com, said: “The Middle East continues to be an important growth market for Trip.com Group, and Arabian Travel Market gives us an opportunity to strengthen the partnerships that are helping drive that growth. We are working across destinations, accommodation, flights and technology to connect our partners with travellers globally, while continuing to invest in the tools and experiences that make travel easier to discover and book. 

“As traveller expectations change, technology and AI will play an increasingly important role in how people plan their journeys. Our focus is on combining those capabilities with strong local partnerships so we can support the continued growth of the region’s tourism industry and give travellers more reasons and more ways to explore the Middle East.” 

Strategic Collaboration and Tourism Growth 

Trip.com Group signed a new agreement with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), building on the existing partnership between the two organisations and supporting their strategic growth ambitions.  

The agreement was formalised on 14 September at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in a signing ceremony attended by Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com, and Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. 

Building on the existing partnership, the new agreement will strengthen joint marketing, destination content and visibility for Abu Dhabi across Trip.com Group’s platforms.  

New Partnerships Across Hotels and Alternative Accommodations 

Trip.com Group is building on the growth of its accommodation business in the Middle East, with Alternative Accommodations taking a bigger role in its plans for the region and at Arabian Travel Market this year.  

The Group is building its accommodation network through partnerships with key hospitality players across the region, including JA Hotels & Resorts, Ishraq Hospitality and Aleph Hospitality, alongside alternative accommodation provider Silkhaus. The partnerships are aimed at driving demand from new domestic and international markets. 

Trip.com Group is also working with Silkhaus to grow its Alternative Accommodations business and enter new markets. The partnership adds holiday homes to the Group’s accommodation portfolio, as it continues to build out this part of its business alongside its established hotel offering.  

Strengthening flight connectivity 

Trip.com Group is also strengthening its collaboration with airlines across the region to support network growth, stimulate demand and connect emerging destinations with international travellers. 

As part of this strategy, Jazeera Airways and Trip.com Group have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at expanding the airline’s global reach, driving early bookings and supporting Kuwait’s tourism ambitions. 

Technology and AI shaping the next stage of travel 

Trip.com Group took the next step in its AI journey at Arabian Travel Market, joining Mastercard to showcase a real-world application of agentic commerce in travel. 

At ATM, the partners demonstrated how Trip.com’s AI-powered travel agent, TripGenie, can move beyond recommending travel options to helping consumers search, select and complete purchases through an AI-powered booking experience. Powered by Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants and supported by Network International’s acquiring capabilities, the showcase brings together AI, travel and payments to demonstrate what the next generation of travel booking could look like. 

The experience is initially focused on selected travel services, including attractions and ancillary offerings, with the partners planning a phased commercial rollout from early 2027. This marks an important step in Trip.com’s evolution from AI-powered travel recommendations towards agentic commerce, where technology can increasingly understand traveller intent and help turn it into action. 

For the industry, the collaboration demonstrates what is required to make that shift possible: bringing together travel inventory and customer experience, AI, payments and secure transaction infrastructure. It also provides a blueprint for how agentic commerce can be introduced while allowing merchants to maintain control of their brand experience and customer relationships. 

Continued Investment in the Middle East 

The latest initiatives build on Trip.com Group’s continued investment in its regional presence and capabilities. Earlier this year, Trip.com Group expanded its regional operations by moving into a larger Dubai office to support the continued growth of its team. As it also continues to strengthen relationships with regional tourism boards, airlines, hotels and other industry partners, the long-term ambition is to build a strong local ecosystem that connects travellers in the Middle East with destinations around the world, while also helping more international travellers discover the Middle East.