Why Middle Eastern countries are becoming popular holiday destinations for Chinese tourists

BEIJING: Chinese outbound tourist numbers are expected to exceed 130 million this year, up by half from last year. 
 
But outbound travel recovery is still lagging compared to pre-pandemic levels. 
 
As travel picks up again, many Chinese are abandoning Western destinations and heading instead to Middle Eastern countries – such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Saudi Arabia – for their rich heritage, dedicated hospitality and exotic attractions. 
Between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter this year alone, the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Middle East rose more than 50 per cent. 
 
The surge is due to various factors, including significant investments in tourism, and better air connectivity through more flight routes. 
 
Earlier this year, Chinese citizen Liang Xuemin visited iconic spots in Dubai in the UAE such as the artificially-formed island of Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. During her six days there, she was surprised by the Emiratis’ hospitality catered to the Chinese market.
 
The 38-year-old and her family decided to spend their Spring Festival holidays – as Chinese New Year is referred to in China – there, after realising air tickets were two times cheaper than flights to China’s tropical island province Hainan island.
 
“During the Spring Festival, Hainan is a very popular destination in China. So the round-trip air tickets at that time were around 5,000 to 6,000 yuan (US$712 to US$855),” said Ms Liang. 
 
“But then we saw that a round-trip ticket to Dubai, flying directly from Beijing, was only over 2,800 yuan. At that moment, we thought it was such a great deal that it would feel like a loss not to go.” 
 
She added that Dubai was also promoting its visa-free policies at that time, which made it “very convenient”.
 
Ms Liang is among 290,000 Chinese visitors who flocked to Dubai in the first four months of this year, a 101 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. 
 
This figure is expected to rise, as the city looks to attract more Chinese tourists. With 88 weekly flights to 14 Chinese cities, Dubai’s leaders have highlighted the potential for growth.
Meanwhile, other Middle Eastern cities such as Riyadh and Doha are also getting their fair share of Chinese tourists.
 
Mr Schubert Lou, chief operating officer at travel service firm Trip.com, said there is a shift in consumer activities from “pure shopping” to prioritising experiences. 
 
“This cultural and artistic appeal is actually happening,” he added. “We’re seeing that that’s the desire of the people going (there).”
 
Some observers believe China’s growing business ties with the Middle East has contributed to the tourism boom, with visa-free access and increased flight routes.
 
“It’s part of China’s foreign policy, in a way that they are representative of what the Chinese want to be seen as,” said Mr Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation advisory firm Endau Analytics. 
 
“They want to travel, they want to showcase their people, and to show that China is still relevant, very much so, despite what happened during COVID-19.”
 
As Chinese travel to the Middle East continues to grow, experts told CNA that countries in the region still need to upgrade their services to better receive the influx of Chinese tourists.
 
Trip.com’s Mr Lou said these include having language support, developing guided tours, and tailoring “their experience so that they can manage to do things in the local fashion”. 
 
For Ms Liang, she is looking forward to visiting more Arab countries, especially after seeing her friends post their trips online.
 
“We still really want to experience different cultures and customs, like those in the Middle East,” she added. 
 
“For example, Egypt might have even greater differences compared to places within China, so we hope to go there and experience it firsthand.”