·
New
visas, leisure attractionsand business opportunities drive demand, as 154
million Chinese tourists are expected to go abroad in 2018
·
Religious
tourism in Saudi Arabia to receive a boost as China’sMuslim population grows
inline with global trends
·
ATM
2018 to host dedicated seminar session on China’s 500 million millennials,as attendee
interest in the Chinese market increases 63% YoY.
Chinese
arrivals to the GCC will increase 21% to 2021, rising to 2.5 million visitors
annually, according to data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2018, which
takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25.
Published
by Colliers International, the data predicts Saudi Arabia will experience the
highest proportionate increase in arrivals from China, up35% on 2016 figures. The
UAE will follow at 20%, with Oman at 12% and Bahrain and Kuwait at 7%.
GCC
countries currently attract 1.9% of China’s total outbound market, up from 1.3%
in 2012, however positive trends are expected tocontinue as 154 million Chinese
tourists prepare to goabroad in 2018 and a predicted 244 million follow in 2022.
Keen
to capitalise on the potential, figures from ATM 2017 show the number of
delegates, exhibitors and attendees interested in doingbusiness with China had increased
63% on the previous year, with the number of delegates arriving from China, up
28%.
Simon
Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said: “The outbound Chinese market
represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers and the
GCC has been a destination of choice for years. Owing to its many business
opportunities and a new generation of leisure attractions, figures show the GCC
is poised to further capitalise on these trends over the coming years as
millions of Chinese make their first international trip.
“Over
the years, sentiment at ATM has reflected the growth in Chinese tourists to the
GCC and today we have seen more businesses than ever before eager to capitalise
on the opportunities presented by the Chinese market.”
The Colliers
data follows four years of steady growth in Chinese arrivals to the GCC,
spurred by the business, leisure and religious tourism sectors. Chinese
travellers today seek unexplored cities and cultures, with GCC governments courting
them through roadshows, exhibitions and cultural exchanges. Further supporting
this drive, over recent years,regional brands including airlines, hotels and
tourism bodies have opened representative offices across China.
Every
year, almost 15,000 Chinese Muslims visit the two Holy Cities, and that number
will increase as China’s Muslim population grows to account for 2.1% of the
total population by 2030. Strengthening these ties, in 2017 Saudi Arabia loaned
Arab artefacts from the pre-historic, pre-Islamic and Islamic periods to
Chinese museums, further enhancing Chinese awareness of Arab culture.
Press
added: “Thanks to the work of the GCC’s tourism bodies and stakeholders, cultural
attractions and new developments are already generating interest from China. As
a result, the GCC’s tourism and hospitality industries are uniquely poised to
capitalise on emerging trends and secure a greater share of this fascinating
market.”
Travel
brands across the industry are working to maximise links with China, from
introducing Chinese language TV and menus, to hiring native Mandarin speakers.
In
2016 Emirates added to its China network with two new routes to Yinchuan and
Zhengzhou, in addition to regular flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Emirates was the first airline in the Middle East to establish non-stop
passenger flights to mainland china in 2004.
Etihad
pioneered a code share agreement with China Southern Airlines in 2017 with a
reciprocal loyalty programme due over the coming months. Later in the year, the
airline revealed branded livery to tie in with China's 11.11 Global Shopping
Festival and announced a points conversion scheme for flyers who shop with
e-commerce giant Alibaba.
The 2018
ATM exhibition will host a discussion in the in the Showcase Theatre exploring
the opportunities surrounding China’s 500 million millennials, with a
presentation hosted by Chloé Reuter, an expert in
the Chinese luxury market and Founder of Reuter Communications.
On day
two of the exhibition the Travel Tech Theatre will host the panel discussion “What Middle East Businesses can do to capture
the attention (and wallets) of Chinese luxury travelers”. The
panel will be chaired by Chloe and will consist of representatives from Dubai
Tourism, Tencent’s WeChat and Emaar Hospitality.
Chinese
exhibitors at ATM 2018 will include Guizhou Province and Fuijan Province,Zumata,
XML Holiday, DidaTravel, Toursworld, DLC
and Bonotel Exclusive.
ATM
– considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and
North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2017 event,
including 2,661 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than
$2.5 billion over the four days. This year the show theme is responsible
tourism.