Interview with Roula Jouny
CEO of Rocket International
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Roula Jouny
CEO of Rocket International
Roula Jouny is the CEO and a shareholder of Rocket International, a global conglomerate, and a prominent figure in the Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality sector with over 30 years of visionary leadership experience.
Prior to her current role, she held executive positions in leading companies such as Tourism 365, FTI Group, Meeting Point International, and Meeting Point Hotels. Ms. Jouny's extensive expertise has propelled Rocket International to the forefront of the industry, where she oversees all entities within the Rocket Worldwide portfolio, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Beyond her professional achievements, she advocates for sustainability and social responsibility, driving positive change both within and beyond the boardroom. Ms. Jouny continues to lead Rocket International with unwavering determination, guiding the company to new heights of success and excellence.
Rocket International has consolidated a global presence with operations in destinations as diverse as Morocco, Egypt, Türkiye, and Cuba. How does the company maintain consistent quality and service standards across such different cultural and tourism contexts?
Having previously built and operated the largest DMC network under the Meeting Point International brand across 57 destinations, we have developed extensive know-how of local cultures, operational challenges, and market dynamics. This experience allows us to deliver exactly what our customers need by leveraging each destination’s unique strengths and applying best practices derived from our global success stories
As a CEO with over three decades of leadership in global tourism, which principles do you consider essential for building high-performance teams capable of delivering authentic, memorable experiences in every destination?
Teams’ engagement and alignment around a shared vision have always been at the core of our success. By openly communicating our strategy, goals, and key information, we ensure that every colleague understands not only what we aim to achieve, but also why it matters.
Making our teams part of the company’s journey — and holding them accountable while showing clearly how their role contributes to success or failure — creates a strong sense of ownership and purpose.
Ultimately, investing in people is the most valuable investment a company can make. In our business, we do not sell a unique product; what truly differentiates us is who sells it and how they sell it. This is always directly linked to how satisfied, motivated, and supported our colleagues feel.
Rocket DMC defines itself as an “in-destination B2B partner.” How has this business model evolved, and what roles do technology, digitalization, and global alliances play in its consolidation today?
In today’s world, the life of a DMC has become far more challenging. The industry has shifted into a multi-supplier environment where partners who were once exclusive now have access to the same content from multiple sources. Technology has enabled them to compare instantly and select the most competitive products available on the market.
This evolution has required us to stay extremely alert to what the competition is offering. It has pushed us to continuously monitor market dynamics, refine our product portfolio, and ensure that we are always delivering added value—not just competitive pricing, but differentiated experiences, stronger service standards, and a level of reliability that technology alone cannot provide
In the DMC industry, innovation and agility are key to competitiveness. Which areas is Rocket International investing in most to continue differentiating itself on a global scale?
We remain fully committed to differentiated product and continuous innovation. This focus allows us to scale our business by offering experiences that stand out—products that cannot be easily compared or beaten in today’s multi-supplier systems. In a market where price and availability are constantly benchmarked, our strength lies in the uniqueness and originality of what we create.
Key Account Managers are a distinctive figure within Rocket International. What value do they bring to relationships with tour operators, and how do they help strengthen trust and service personalization?
We have moved today from the title Key Account Managers to CSM, Client Success Managers, as we today believe that in a very competitive transparent Market, the ultimate success of our partners lie on the people serving them in the destination by making sure we make them competitive and unique.
Sustainability and social responsibility are cross-cutting pillars of the new tourism era. What initiatives is Rocket International implementing to promote sustainable growth across its operations and destinations?
We are deeply committed to ESG principles and have actively integrated several UN Tourism initiatives into our operations, especially as Rocket International is now an affiliate member of UN Tourism.
Across our destinations, we have developed unique impact-driven programs — from community engagement projects in Uzbekistan to tailored local initiatives elsewhere — ensuring that our presence contributes positively to the social, cultural, and environmental fabric of each location.
Your portfolio includes hotels, cruises, excursions, and VIP services. How is the offer orchestrated to ensure integrated experiences that combine luxury, authenticity, and operational efficiency in each country where you operate?
Our teams on the ground are local experts who deeply understand the culture, the people, and the nuances of each destination. They curate experiences that reflect the true identity of the place — from community-led excursions to exclusive partnerships — allowing us to combine a unified luxury standard, local cultural depth, and strong operational integration, we ensure that Rocket International delivers experiences that are not only memorable and authentic, but also consistently executed across every country where we operate.
In a global context where travelers seek more human and personalized experiences, what innovation and training strategies is Rocket DMC advancing to adapt its services to new trends in emotional tourism?
We believe in deeply understanding our guests’ behavior, as we do not operate under a “one-size-fits-all” concept. Our global presence across multiple continents has exposed us to travelers from every part of the world. Over time, this has enabled us to truly understand different cultures, expectations, and emotional triggers.
This experience has strengthened our ability to offer exactly what guests are looking for — not only through our main products, but by catering to the small, personal details that make a big difference in how they feel. These subtle touches are what transform a good trip into a memorable, emotional experience.
We continually invest in our people so they can deliver warm, meaningful, and personalized service. Our training focuses on:
• Soft skills and empathy
• Cultural intelligence
• Personalization techniques
• Anticipating guest needs and emotional cues
You have led emblematic companies such as FTI Group, Meeting Point International, and Tourism 365. Which learnings from those stages do you find most valuable for your current leadership at Rocket International?
As the founder of Meeting Point International, operating across 57 destinations — from highly developed tourism markets like Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt to emerging destinations such as Cuba and Gambia — I learned what it truly means to build a global DMC from the ground up. Becoming the market leader in many of these destinations taught me resilience, cultural intelligence, and the importance of adapting to very different operational realities. These experiences defined who I am as a leader today.
Later, establishing Tourism 365 under the ADNEC Group during the most challenging period in our industry's history — COVID-19 — was another transformative chapter. Turning Abu Dhabi into a focus destination for tour operators who were featuring it for the first time was only possible thanks to the collaboration of key stakeholders: DCT Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, and the ADNEC leadership. That journey reinforced for me the power of partnership, alignment, and a clear national tourism vision.
Today at Rocket International, we follow the same foundational principles that made Meeting Point successful: strong teams, a unified culture, and deep local expertise. But we operate in a far more agile environment, fueled by technology that allows us to scale faster, respond quicker, and personalize our services in ways that were not possible before.
These combined learnings — global operational experience, crisis-driven innovation, and an unwavering belief in people and partnerships — are what guide my leadership at Rocket International today.
Rocket DMC describes its digital network as a “connected global ecosystem.” Could you share how this technological infrastructure strengthens operational efficiency, partner communication, and the creation of differentiated client experiences?
Real-time visibility of operations across all countries.
Faster decision-making supported by live data.
Automated workflows that reduce manual intervention and errors.
Exchange information instantly
Provide up-to-date availability, pricing, and operational updates
Reduce response times and administrative load
Align better across markets and time zones
This transparency strengthens trust, streamlines cooperation, and allows partners to better plan and sell our services.
Expansion into new destinations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar reflects a strategic view of emerging markets. What opportunities do you identify in Middle Eastern tourism, and how do you plan to position yourselves in that region?
We have already established the legal entities for Rocket KSA and Rocket Qatar because we firmly believe in the long-term development of both destinations. The pace of transformation in Saudi Arabia and Qatar is creating an entirely new landscape of opportunities, and we see significant potential in the diversification of their tourism products.
Our goal is to contribute to this growth by offering a portfolio of distinguished, high-quality experiences that reflect the unique identity of each destination. With our global know-how, multicultural teams, and strong operational standards, we are prepared to bring innovative products to the market while fully aligning with each country’s tourism vision.
Post-pandemic tourism has redefined notions of trust and safety. How has Rocket International responded to new expectations from travelers and commercial partners regarding quality, health, and transparency?
By strengthening transparency with our partners. Trust today is built on openness. We have enhanced transparency across all channels by:
Providing real-time operational updates
Sharing clear information related to capacity, inventory, and service availability
Ensuring faster, more efficient communication through our digital ecosystem
This reliability is a major reason many partners choose to work with us.
On a personal level, after so many years of experience, what inspires you to keep innovating in such a dynamic industry, and how do you balance business vision with a passion for human experiences?
Very simple: people. Tourism is ultimately a human business. It is built on emotions, connections, and the ability to create moments that stay with people long after their trip ends.
On the business side, our industry never stops evolving. New markets emerge, technologies reshape operations, and traveler expectations shift faster than ever. This constant movement energizes me. It pushes me to innovate, to reimagine products, and to always think ahead. I have lived through different waves of transformation—from opening new destinations in markets that were completely unknown, to building DMC networks across continents, to helping shape the positioning of places like Abu Dhabi during the most challenging global crisis. Every chapter reminds me that our industry has endless potential for reinvention.
From the Tourism and Society Think Tank, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Roula Jouny for the clarity and depth of her contributions during this interview. Her vision of integrating technological innovation and sustainability in tourism offers an inspiring roadmap for addressing the current challenges facing the sector. We also particularly value her reflection on the role of local talent and cultural diversity as drivers of competitiveness—elements we consider essential for building more resilient and inclusive destinations.
The way she answered some of the questions in a more personal tone has also allowed us to appreciate a human dimension that enriches her professional profile and provides a close and motivating perspective. For TSTT, this dialogue represents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with Rocket International and explore synergies that promote responsible, innovative, and ethical tourism. We are grateful for her time and generosity, and we hope that this conversation will be the beginning of future joint initiatives for everyone.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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