PHOTO: Dubai, which mushroomed into a major international city within the last 20 years, is a central hub for Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe.

Emirates Vacations, Emirates Airline’s vacation packaging brand for North America launched last August, is rolling out 195 new packages for 2014.

The new private label airline packaging operation was created through a five-year partnership agreement between Emirates Holidays, the tour operator arm of the airline, and Destination Southern Africa, a tour operator based in Tucson, Ariz. The packages are available for destinations that Emirates flies to worldwide, including India, the Indian Ocean, Australia and Southeast Asia. The company is now building up its packages for Africa.

When the operation started last August it focused primarily on offering packages to Dubai. But since that time it has greatly broadened its menu.

Though Dubai is a hub that is central to destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, not all of the packages the company offers are based on routes that fly in or out of Dubai. On Oct. 1, the airline instituted a new route from New York JFK to Milan. From there the company will offer a selection of packages for Europe, with no stops in Dubai involved.

Emirates Vacations is offering packages in four primary categories: beach vacations, family vacations, romantic getaways and adventure travel, with many unusual combinations, such as Majestic Masai Mara and Magical Milan, African Serenity and European Splendor,

Emirates has 56 weekly flights from seven U.S. gateways, including Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

On Friday, April 24, the company will unveil a new deeply discounted package that will be offered for travel June 26 through Aug. 26.

The company is currently offering a travel agent promotion through which agents can win an educational fam trip through a Bingo game. For information see Emirates Vacations.