CityLaila, a Dubai-based travel platform, has expanded its operations to more than 44 countries, marking a significant milestone in its growth from a local ticketing provider into a global travel business with integrated services and growing ownership of travel experiences. While the expansion provides access to a broader customer base and supplier network, it also places the company in a more competitive global environment where scale, operational control, and service consistency are critical.
From Local Ticketing to Multi-Market Operations
The expansion reflects the company’s rapid evolution since its founding in 2019, when it began as a platform for booking attraction tickets and activities in Dubai.
Today, CityLaila offers a broad range of travel services, including attractions, holiday packages, hotel bookings, flights, airport transfers, and visa services, serving both individual travelers and B2B partners across multiple international markets. This also positions the company within a more competitive global travel landscape.
The expansion represents a structural shift rather than incremental growth. Instead of operating as a single-market platform, CityLaila now manages supply, distribution, and customer delivery across multiple regions, supported by operational presence in India, Thailand, Singapore, and Egypt. The company said this footprint allows it to manage supplier relationships and customer support more directly while adapting to regional demand.
“We are no longer operating as a local booking platform,” said Manish Aryan, founder and CEO of CityLaila. “The expansion reflects how the business has evolved into a system that connects multiple markets, partners and services through a single platform.”
Funding and Ownership Strategy Supporting Expansion
The milestone comes alongside a broader set of developments that have supported the company’s transition. CityLaila has secured approximately $2 million in funding, which it said is being used to support market expansion, strengthen its B2B distribution network and invest in technology infrastructure.
“This investment allows us to scale with discipline — strengthening our infrastructure, expanding market access, and building a globally connected travel ecosystem,” said Mantu Kumar, co-founder and CFO of CityLaila. The company is also targeting new markets including the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia as part of its next phase of growth.
Unlike many travel platforms that operate purely as aggregators, CityLaila has begun investing in owned inventory. The company has acquired a 50% stake in a Dubai-based desert safari operation, allowing it to directly manage both standard and premium safari experiences. This move provides greater control over pricing, service delivery, and customer experience — areas that are typically harder to manage in a purely marketplace-driven model.
The company is extending this approach into additional categories, including cruise and yacht offerings, as it builds a portfolio of owned and operated experiences alongside third-party supply.
“Ownership changes how you operate,” said Shamiullah Ansari, co-founder and CMO of CityLaila. “It allows you to control the quality of the experience, not just the transaction. That becomes critical when you are trying to scale across markets.”
Positioning for Global Travel Demand
Named “Most Promising Travel Company in the Middle East 2025” at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards, the company’s model is built around combining direct supplier relationships, owned inventory, and centralized distribution with the aim of delivering consistent travel experiences at competitive pricing. In a sector where customers often face trade-offs between cost and quality, CityLaila is positioning itself around the idea that affordability does not require compromise on the experience.
As part of its next phase, the company is focusing on strengthening its role in both B2B and B2C segments. On the B2B side, it is building a network that allows travel agents to access global inventory through a single platform, while on the consumer side it continues to expand its end-to-end travel offering.
For CityLaila, the shift from a Dubai-based ticketing platform to a multi-country travel operator reflects a broader trend within the travel industry, where companies are moving beyond aggregation toward more integrated and controlled models.
The company said it will continue to invest in infrastructure, partnerships and owned experiences as it expands into additional markets and deepens its presence in existing ones.
About CityLaila
CityLaila is a Dubai-based travel platform and destination management company offering attractions, experiences, holiday packages, hotel bookings, flights, transfers, visa services and B2B travel solutions across more than 44 countries. Serving both individual travelers and travel industry partners, CityLaila connects users with curated local experiences while supporting tourism businesses through global distribution and visibility. For more information, visit www.citylaila.com.
Media Contact
Debo Das
debo@citylaila.com
