Desert Gate (www.desertgate.ae), an upscale DMC with operations in the UAE, Oman & Qatar, is now part of Virtuoso, the world largest luxury travel consortia.

Selected because of its quality, service and creativity, Desert Gate will join the 100+ top Destination Management Companies from around the world who serve the very top travel partners from Latin America, the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia.

As a network, Virtuoso now has more than 772 member agencies, 15,000 travel advisors and generates more than US$21 billion in annual production.

Samir Tabbah, CEO of Desert Gate, said: “Three years ago, when we, as Desert Gate management, decided to convert our decade old company into a fully-fledged DMC, we ‘said that our aim was ‘to become the number one Luxury travel group in the Gulf region’, and with this great honour, for sure we are now several steps closer to this goal.

“This distinction is not only a concrete validation of the Desert Gate’s quality, creativity and positioning, but also of the entire UAE as more and more visitors look towards the UAE as a luxury and experiential destination. With its introduction into the Virtuoso network, one of Desert Gate’s main priorities will be to promote the seven Emirates of the UAE to its members and to enchant them with all its charm and opportunities, along with its range of accommodation and attraction options.”

He added: “This great achievement has been a project of almost a year, led by Mr. Nicholas Rhodes, the Chief Commercial Officer and Luxury Expert, who will now continue to lead everything that is ‘Virtuoso’ and will be the nexus between Desert Gate’s global Virtuoso partners and local suppliers and hotels.”