Dubai: Chinese tourists are on the rise in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, according to industry experts. “China holds a new generation of first-time travellers and we are positioning Dubai as being a destination of consideration for these travellers,” Ahmad Belhoul, chief executive, strategy and tourism sector development at Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) told Gulf News in an emailed statement.
In the first half of this year, the number of Chinese tourists in Dubai grew by almost 16 per cent to 143,619, from 124,053 during the corresponding period a year ago, according to the latest figures by DTCM. China has been among the top ten source markets in the last two years. Oilvier Hick, Accor’s vice president of operations in the Gulf and Levant countries, said that Chinese guests account for three per cent of the hotel operator’s total guests, from one per cent two years ago.
“In our Accor hotels, we are foreseeing a growth of approximately 15 per cent year to date, the growth is more substantial in Dubai than in Abu Dhabi where we achieved approximately plus-10 per cent so far versus last year,” Hick said in an emailed statement.
Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi, Chinese tourists are coming in strong numbers as well.
Abu Dhabi attracted 23,618 Chinese hotel guests in the first seven months of this year ending in July, up 36 per cent over the corresponding period a year ago, according to data by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
Chinese guests accounted for 44,094 room nights in the capital’s 146 hotel and hotel apartments, which grew by 38 per cent compared to the same time last year. Guests stayed on an average of 1.87 days, up two per cent.
Most Chinese tourists stay at four and five-star hotels, as well as other forms of accommodation, according to Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting. “Most of them travel in groups,” he said.
Group travellers of between 25 and 35 people normally stay for an average of three to four nights, according to Kulwant Singh, managing director of Lama Tours, a tour operator in Dubai. Due to their large numbers, they book between 15 and 20 rooms, he said.
“The market is growing. They account for between four and five per cent of our revenue, and that’s growing between 30 and 35 per cent every year,” Singh said.
Chinese visitors tend to spend a few nights in different hotels across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he said.
They take part in different activities, which include shopping, dining (normally at Chinese restaurants), and city tours.
Drivers of growth
A number of factors have helped increase Chinese tourist numbers. Among these is the growth of the middle class in China, which has helped increase income spend, according to Hewett.
“Average income is increasing in China, so people spend more on travel,” he said.
Travellers have also been venturing into non-traditional markets.
Another factor is the efforts by tourism authorities such as DTCM and TCA Abu Dhabi to bring in more Chinese tourists in the UAE.
DTCM, for instance, has conducted road shows in China.
Also, the growth of air links between China and the UAE has fuelled the numbers of Chinese visitors.
“More local carriers are targeting Chinese and African markets,” Singh said.
Hainan Airlines operates code share flights with Etihad Airways from Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai to Abu Dhabi International.
