【Text by Observer Net, Deng Jun; Editor by Zhao Qiankun】
In recent years, the status of the Middle East in the hearts of Chinese tourists is quietly changing - from a non-preferred destination to an emerging popular choice.
The U.S. Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) reported that with the continuous relaxation of visa policies, the increasing number of direct flights, and the growing attention on local unique tourism resources, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to the Middle East during this year's National Day Golden Week has significantly increased. However, as more and more Chinese tourists turn their eyes to the Middle East, it also brings new challenges to the local tourism industry - how to form a differentiated advantage among similar tourism resources.
The report cited data from Ctrip Travel Network, which showed that during this year's National Day Golden Week, the number of travel bookings to Doha, the capital of Qatar, increased by 441% year-on-year, while bookings to Abu Dhabi increased by 229%. According to Tongcheng Travel's data, the five overseas destinations with the fastest-growing hotel bookings during the National Day Golden Week were Saudi Arabia, Egypt, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, and the UAE.
Travel data analysis company ForwardKeys has counted international passenger data departing from China between September 27 and October 12 this year, and the results showed that the number of Chinese passengers traveling to Dubai increased by 27%. As one of the members of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has also become a popular destination for high-spending Chinese tourists choosing premium economy, business class, or first-class travel, with related demand increasing by 133%.
Edmund Ong, General Manager of Ctrip Singapore, told CNBC that in recent years, the popularity of the Middle East among Chinese tourists has mainly been due to the convenience of visas and the expansion of flight routes. To date, the number of flights from China to the Middle East this year has increased by 25% compared to the same period last year, and the increase compared to the same period in 2019 has exceeded 180%.
The Saudi Tourism Authority (hereinafter referred to as "Saudi Tourism") introduced to Observer Net that its goal is to attract 5 million Chinese tourists to visit Saudi Arabia by 2030. Currently, Saudi Arabia has created multiple themed routes tailored for Chinese tourists, such as the "Art and Culture Tour" connecting four world heritage sites: Jeddah, Hegra, Turaif, and Al-Hafr. Tourists can participate in "home visits," entering local families to try on traditional clothing, learning Arabic cooking, and deeply integrating into Saudi daily life. In addition, Saudi is actively building a global center for sports and entertainment, launching international events such as the EWC Esports World Cup and F1, as well as cultural events like the Azim Music Festival, Al-Ula Art Festival, and Tan-tora Winter Concert, to meet the diverse needs of art, adventure, gaming, sports, and culture enthusiasts. Saudi also provides convenient services such as a Chinese website, hotline, tour guides, WeChat mini program, and UnionPay payment. 30 destination service companies in Saudi have Chinese-speaking staff to ensure smooth tourist itineraries. In addition, 100 schools in Saudi have established Chinese language courses, laying a linguistic and cultural foundation for welcoming Chinese tourists.
A representative from the Dubai Tourism Board told Observer Net that in recent years, the Chinese market has continued to rise in strategic importance within Dubai's international tourist map. In 2024, Dubai received 824,000 Chinese tourists, an increase of 31% compared to the previous year. Since the beginning of this year, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism has continuously promoted cooperation with Chinese travel agencies, media, and opinion leaders, conducting various creative promotional campaigns. For example, in August this year, the 2025 Dubai Tourism China Roadshow was successfully held in four cities in China: Taipei, Hangzhou, Shenyang, and Shenzhen, further deepening the connection with the Greater China tourism market and promoting exchanges in product promotion, market cooperation, and resource integration.
"Before the pandemic, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE were very popular among Chinese tourists due to the convenient visa process." said Alexander Glos, CEO of China i2i Group, a China market marketing and business development company. "In the past few years after the pandemic, the UAE and some Middle Eastern countries have also 'performed outstandingly,' not only because of convenient visas, convenient transportation, and reasonable prices, but also because they offer diverse travel options for Chinese tourists."
Peggy Li, CEO and Managing Director of China market consulting company SPS Affinity, pointed out that the Middle East has also been "very proactive" in opening up direct flights to Chinese cities. For example, Emirates Airline added direct flights from Hangzhou to Dubai and Shenzhen to Dubai in July this year.
Addition information from the Saudi Tourism Authority states that to facilitate Chinese tourists, the number of direct flights between China and Saudi Arabia has increased to 33 per week, operated by six airlines, with expected capacity increases of more than 40% by mid-2025. The Saudi e-visa can be processed in just 3 minutes, supports landing visas, and travelers taking connecting flights with Saudi Airlines can enjoy a 96-hour free transit visa.
Latest news shows that starting from November 30, 2025, China Eastern Airlines will open a direct flight route connecting Beijing Capital with the capital of Oman, "Beijing Daxing - Muscat." This is the first direct flight route operated by a Chinese airline between the two locations, establishing an efficient and convenient air bridge, greatly improving the travel efficiency between the two places, and providing more convenience for business cooperation and tourism.
CNBC reported that the continuous growth of Chinese tourists' demand for tourism in the Middle East may bring positive impacts to the region, but each destination also faces challenges: how to achieve differentiated competition while providing similar tourism resources and attractions.
"If you observe the natural resources of all (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, you will find that each country has a list of tourism activities that are easy to complete without much thinking," Peggy Li said. "You want to go sandboarding in the desert, they all have deserts. You want to have a hot air balloon breakfast in the desert, or ride a camel and horse to watch the sunset in the desert, these countries all have them."
"By comparison, Abu Dhabi appears 'more Emirati' and 'more local.'" Glos believes that Abu Dhabi's cultural and historical sites have built a 'different combination of experiences.'
The report mentioned that data from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism showed that the number of tourists from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia visiting Dubai decreased slightly by about 0.4% year-on-year from January to July this year. Affected by global economic growth pressure, Dubai's appeal as a luxury shopping destination has weakened somewhat, and the depreciation of the Japanese yen has made Japanese luxury consumption more cost-effective.
A representative from the Dubai Tourism Board stated that to continue expanding its influence in China, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will continue to strengthen its digital marketing layout, accurately understanding the content preferences of Chinese consumers, and conveying its unique and rich tourism charm to the Chinese market in diverse forms. At the same time, in terms of improving the tourist experience, Dubai has fully implemented the "China Ready Strategy" to address the changing needs of Chinese tourists. Dubai has also officially included the Chinese Spring Festival in its retail calendar and will hold city-wide celebrations, demonstrating respect and integration of Chinese culture.
Peggy Li believes that looking ahead, the Middle East will engage in a "survival of the fittest" competition in the Chinese outbound tourism market to secure a larger market share.
This article is an exclusive article from Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561676490035708467/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking on the 【Up/Down】 button below.