UK-based wholesaler Jac Travel has opened a new office in Dubai.

Best known for its extensive range of accommodation online and inbound travel services, JacTravel has recruited Taoufiq Abouchadi to head up the Dubai location on the 6th floor of the Emirates Towers Hotel.

Abouchadi will primarily be responsible for managing relationships with existing hotel suppliers and signing contracts with new hotels with a view to increasing the breadth and depth of JacTravel’s inventory in the Middle East and North Africa. 

JacTravel has had a presence in the Middle East since 2009, working in partnership with a local destination management company to help its contracting operation become established. 

During this period, JacTravel grew sales from £200,000 to £1m and added 100 hotels in the region to its global portfolio.

 Malcolm Lindop, JacTravel’s Head of Contracting said: “I am delighted that Taoufiq Abouchadi has decided to join us.  He is ideally suited to the role and I have every confidence that under his leadership, our business in the Middle East and North Africa will continue to grow at a very rapid pace.”

Abouchadi said: “I am thrilled to be joining a company that is doing so well and am excited by the possibilities.  My ambition for the new Dubai office is to build JacTravel’s locally sourced inventory to 425 hand-picked properties within three years.”   

 In 2012, JacTravel was UK Inbound’s Tour Operator of the Year; it won the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 Award for Customer Service and it featured in several highly-regarded rankings of fast-growing businesses.  From 2009 to 2012, JacTravel grew its sales 80% from £70m to £125m.  During this time, it also created 28 new jobs and is planning to add another 25 this year.

 JacTravel is an independent, privately owned company specialising in the provision of hotels online and inbound services to the travel trade.  Its inventory includes over 10,000 properties in more than 550 cities.  Owing to fast and reliable booking systems, JacTravel is able to display best rates and real time availability for every hotel in its portfolio.  Last year, JacTravel handled operations for in excess of 3,000 groups and 1.5 million FIT passengers on behalf of its trade partners.  Since it was founded in 1975, annual turnover has grown organically to in excess of £125m.  In addition to Dubai, it has local operations in London, Edinburgh, Vancouver, Barcelona, Paris, Prague, Rome and Sao Paulo.