Middle East Emerges as Preferred Travel Destination for Affluent Chinese

Over 20 percent of Chinese millionaires plan to visit the Middle East in the next 12 months, according to the latest TrendLens report from luxury consulting firm Agility. The report analyzed the survey responses of 315 affluent and 216 high net-worth individuals in China in March and April this year. Those planning overseas leisure trips jumped from 50 percent in 2022 to 75 percent this year. High net-worth individuals expressed a preference for buying beauty, alcohol, watch, and jewelry products abroad in search of better deals. China’s high net-worth individuals and affluent consumers are more confident about their disposable income and investments, and spending on luxury products and experiences like tourism, according to the report. Having welcomed 989,000 Chinese tourists, China was Dubai's fifth-largest source market in 2019. When Saudi Arabia opened to tourism in 2019, the maximum number of tourist visas issued were to Chinese tourists. More than 100,000 Chinese tourists visited Saudi Arabia in 2019. Following the resumption of outbound group tours for Chinese citizens on February 6, Middle East destinations have been wooing Chinese tourists. Dubai has been actively promoting travel-related campaigns in China and has continued to implement a visa-free policy for Chinese visitors as well as a “China Ready” strategy. With plans to welcome 4 million Chinese visitors by 2030, Saudi Arabia included China in its e-visa program and in the 96-hour stopover visa program that allows guests flying in to the country to avail a complimentary one-night hotel stay. Ahmed Issa, the tourism minister of Egypt had said this year that around 30 million Chinese tourists are interested in visiting Egypt over the next few years. China’s largest online travel agency Trip.com Group has also signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to promote these destinations. Speaking at the Skift Global Forum East in Dubai last year, Trip.com’s Chief Operating Officer, Schubert Lou, said old marketing strategies would not work on the new Chinese traveler. 

In a bid to improve transparency and increase confidence among investors and visitors in the short-term rental market, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has announced the launch of a new QR Code initiative for holiday homes in Dubai. The initiative is also in line with Dubai's digital transformation strategy, which seeks to establish the emirate as a leading global smart