After the U.S. and Israel's airstrikes on Iran worsened the Middle East situation, Koreans staying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been evacuating by land to neighboring Oman.
Yanatrip, a Middle East specialist travel agency, secured a bus and moved to support 18 Korean travelers on the 4th so they could cross the border from Dubai, UAE, into Oman. Under normal circumstances, getting a vehicle wouldn't have been difficult, but the war changed the situation. Yanatrip Director Jo Yeon-a, 51, stayed up all night coordinating with local bus companies and others.
Jo said the trust built up over nearly 10 years centered on Dubai paid off. Jo said, "Thanks to the network we built with local companies over years of doing business, we were able to urgently secure vehicles and help people move."
The 18 people Yanatrip helped move by land were not customers. Lee Jae-cheon, 26, who runs the international politics YouTube channel "Sensus Studio," gathered Koreans stranded locally and asked for help, and they said they couldn't turn away. Jo said, "I was worried in case something might go wrong," but added, "I stepped up with the mindset of doing what we could."
The government decided to resume one daily passenger flight on the Dubai–Incheon route starting on the 6th. Jo said, "I hope the situation stabilizes as soon as possible so Dubai tourism can recover." The following is a Q&A with Jo.
—What prompted you to help with overland travel from Dubai to Oman
"After the war broke out, things moved very quickly. We had customers staying locally, so we were taking care of them first. While responding through the night for two days, on the 3rd we received a request for help from Lee Jae-cheon of 'Sensus Studio'
To be honest, I first tried to refuse. There was a lot to handle related to local customers, and I was also worried that problems might arise while helping with overland travel. Still, I thought securing a bus was something we could do, so after much deliberation I began arranging one. Without incident, 18 people evacuated to Oman on the 4th."
—It must not have been easy to arrange vehicles
"There is normally a service for overland travel from Dubai to Oman. Under usual circumstances, preparing a bus wasn't difficult. But given the situation, it became hard for individuals to secure vehicles.
I contacted partners we have had a transaction with for nearly 10 years in Dubai. They were reliable companies, even with insurance. Normally, buses are assigned after booking and payment, but I asked them to "check the vehicles that can be prepared immediately." With the five-hour time difference, we exchanged messages until 4 a.m. and secured vehicles."
—It sounds like local partners also worked late
"In the UAE, people usually leave work right after business hours. But to move to Oman on the 4th, they had to depart Dubai between 10 and 11 a.m. Understanding the urgency, the local companies worked with us into the night."
—How did you handle passenger safety and situational management during the move
"Thinking they might feel uneasy in a foreign place, we arranged for local guides to accompany them from Dubai Airport to the checkpoint, and again from the checkpoint to downtown Oman. All of them are professional guides who have run local events multiple times. They confirmed the travel status by checking whether passengers boarded properly and sharing photos or videos from inside the vehicles."
—Did the travel agency make a profit
"No. We didn't add a margin (profit). The bus charter expense for the Dubai segment and the Oman segment, plus the cross-border expense, totaled more than 5 million won. There were additional costs for local guides. So, based on 19 people, we calculated about 290,000 won per person. We worked for about three days, but I didn't include my own labor costs either. We did this to help those feeling anxious locally, even a little."
—What kind of company is Yanatrip
Since 2015, Yanatrip has run a travel business in the Middle East centered on Dubai. In addition to products for general travelers, we also run a B2B (business-to-business) operation that provides local travel services to other travel agencies.
We directly operate a travel agency in Dubai and work with major local travel companies such as Arabian Adventures and Magic Arabia. Thanks to our long experience in the Middle East, we were able to carry out this emergency move relatively smoothly.
—The worsening Middle East situation must also be a burden for the company
"Dubai has always been a very attractive and safe city. It's unfortunate that the situation has become like this because of the war. I hope the situation stabilizes as soon as possible so tourism can recover.