Middle East gains ground with Chinese tourists during Golden Week

the The Middle East It has not traditionally ranked among the top destinations for Chinese travellers, but that seems to be changing quickly.

During this year’s extended Golden Week holiday – which runs from October 1 to 8 – Chinese travel bookings to Doha rose by 441% compared to the previous year, while bookings to Abu Dhabi rose by 229%. According to Trip.com. The online travel agency said its data covered the period from September 27 to October 8, as many office workers took extra leave to extend their break.

Meanwhile, Dubai saw a 27% increase, placing it among the top 10 destinations abroad AsiaAccording to Travel data analytics company ForwardKeyswhich counted international departures from China between September 27 and October 12.

The emirate, part of the United Arab Emirates, was also one of the top choices for wealthy Chinese travelers traveling on premium economy, business and first class seats, with demand rising 133% year-on-year.

This rise reflects a broader trend of more Chinese travelers heading to the Middle East. Flights from China to the region have grown by 25% so far this year compared to the same period in 2024, Edmund Ong, general manager of Trip.com Singapore, told CNBC.

Ong said the growth is even more surprising when compared to the same period in 2019, with current levels more than 180% higher than before the pandemic.

The five fastest-growing overseas destinations for hotel bookings during Golden Week were Saudi Arabia, Egypt, New Zealand, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, according to Google Translate data from Tongcheng travelthe Second largest Online travel booking platform in China.

In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman were the most popular, Ong said.

However, the usual suspects — nearby, affordable, visa-free Asian countries — continued to dominate overseas travel for Chinese tourists, led by Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore, according to data from Trip.com Show.

Accessibility, demand for fuel “exclusivity”.

Ong said the growing popularity in the Middle East in recent years has been driven by easier visa policies and more direct airline routes.

“Pre-Covid, especially the UAE – Dubai and Abu Dhabi – were very popular because the visa processing was very easy. Visas and the possibility of getting a visa or without a visa are a real big driver for Chinese citizens,” said Alexander Gloss, CEO of China i2i Group, a marketing and business development company based in Shanghai.

Gloss added that in the years following Covid-19, the UAE and some Middle Eastern countries performed “very well.” “Again, it was because it was open, it was a place to go, it was easy to go to, it was affordable, and it offered a lot of different travel opportunities.”

The Middle East has also been “very progressive” in adding direct flights to Chinese cities, said Peggy Li, CEO and managing director of Chinese marketing consultancy SPS Affinity. She pointed out that the national carrier of Dubai, Emirates Airlines, in July Launching a new airline To Hangzhou, which is home to Alibaba’s headquarters and is located near Hong Kong – just weeks later The beginning of trips To Shenzhen.

“If you look at these new destinations that Emirates is starting from… it’s not just about the tourism perspective; [but also] “It’s a business strategy,” he told me.

Chinese travelers are also attracted to attractions that focus on cultural experiences and diversity. Despite the demand for private charter, luxury desert safaris [experiences] She told me that the demand for “authentic, meaningful experiences remains relatively strong,” and noted that the demand for “authentic, meaningful experiences is becoming more pronounced,” such as educational study trips.

i2i’s Gloss said the novelty of the Middle East for Chinese travelers had turned it into a status symbol.

“This shows a certain amount of prestige. I’m an adventurer. I have the financial ability to travel. I’ll go somewhere you’ve never been before,” he said. “And I can share it with 965 of my close friends on WeChat.”

SPS Affinity’s Lee said the region’s diverse cuisine is another attraction. “[Chinese travelers] “They usually don’t get to sample, like Iranians, Afghans, Syrians and Lebanese. It’s a melting pot where they come and they get a good range of different flavors they can try,” she added.

Dubai losing its luster?

Growing demand for outbound travel to the Middle East may be a boon to the region, but the challenge for the Gulf states will be to differentiate themselves when they offer similar attractions.

“If you look at the natural resources available among all… [Gulf Cooperation Council] “In terms of the obvious tourist bucket list, everyone has that bucket list,” he told me. “If you want to go on a desert safari with dune driving, they all have a desert. You want to go have breakfast in a hot air balloon in the desert… camel rides and sunset horseback rides in the desert, they all have that.”

Dubai, in particular, is “having a lot of trouble” attracting Chinese tourists, who are interested in something more local, Gloss said. “Tourists don’t see anything local or unique [in Dubai]. “McDonald’s, KFC and Tim Hortons don’t look very Arab,” he added.

According to his research and conversations with hoteliers and destination management companies, he estimates that Chinese travel to Dubai has declined by about 50% this year.

By comparison, Abu Dhabi seems “much more Emirati” and “much more local,” he added, adding that its cultural and historical landmarks create “a different kind of experiential mix.”

Data from the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai It showed that the number of travelers from Northeast and Southeast Asia to the emirate decreased by about 0.4% on an annual basis between January and July, compared to the same period in 2024.

Dubai’s reputation for luxury shopping has also diminished as Chinese consumers rein in spending due to economic pressures at home. The weak yen has also made luxury goods more affordable in neighboring Japan.

In the future, it will be a “race of the fittest” for the Middle East to get a bigger slice of the Chinese international travel pie, Li said.