Gulf tourism rebound gains pace

For Ahmed Al-Rahbi, an Omani travel enthusiast in his 40s, Zhangye in Gansu province tops his list of must-see destinations in China.

“I have never been to China, yet I am deeply passionate about geography and history. I have read countless online articles about Zhangye,” he said, pulling up notes saved on his mobile phone. “I know it is famous for its Danxia landforms.”

Lying along the ancient Silk Road’s core cultural routes, Zhangye offers a window into millennia of exchange between Arab and Eastern civilizations.

“You have to visit on a sunny day to fully admire the spectacular, multi-hued sandstone peaks and jagged rock formations carved by hundreds of millions of years of wind and water erosion,” Al-Rahbi said. “Oman and China have a visa waiver agreement, and I hope to make this trip soon.”

The Omani national was visiting the 33rd Arabian Travel Market trade show that ran from Sept 14 to 17 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

The “Nihao! China” pavilion appeared for the third consecutive year at the four-day show — the Middle East’s most influential professional travel exhibition.

Beyond travelers, dozens of tourism operators also flocked to the exhibition floor to negotiate new partnerships and explore cross-border opportunities.

Pankaj Pallod, from Curated Luxury Travel in Hyderabad, India, traveled to Dubai to scout new travel product lines. “China is an extremely important destination. Many Indians are interested in traveling to China or taking short business trips, yet their understanding of the country remains limited,” he said.

“That is why I flew here from India to source destinations and local suppliers. I hope to visit China for an on-site inspection soon, planning a one-month trip covering major cities from east to west and south to north.”

The China pavilion prioritized targeted matchmaking between Chinese and international travel traders.

Twenty-eight cultural and tourism enterprises representing eight major destinations — Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Henan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Hunan, and Guangdong — took part, marking a record level of participation.

Zhou Qianhong, general manager of Chongqing Xinchen Culture and Tourism, said his travel agency’s overseas visitors mainly come from Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America, with arrivals from the Middle East still relatively small. That is why several tourism firms from Chongqing joined the group exhibition.

“We researched the market beforehand and learned that Middle Eastern travelers favor high-end small-group tours and are less price-sensitive. We already have rich experience hosting Muslim visitors from Indonesia and Malaysia,” he said.

Chongqing may not enjoy the same name recognition in the Middle East as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen, yet the booth saw strong interest.

“Visitors repeatedly mentioned Chongqing’s vibrant street life. Arab families value home and daily life, and I believe this is a major draw for them. We received dozens of groups of potential partners in just one morning and hope to move quickly into in-depth talks to select suitable collaborators,” Zhou said.

Liu Yang, director of the Chinese Cultural Center in the UAE, said that this year, the China pavilion aimed to provide a platform for pragmatic negotiations between Chinese and overseas traders.

“Rather than simply promoting scenic spots in China, our bigger goal is to build a platform connecting enterprises. The internet has helped Arabs learn more about China, and this business platform helps tourism boost people-to-people bonds,” he said.

Khalil Alzghoul, general manager of Kaya Hotel Amman in Jordan, said his property hosted roughly 40 Chinese tourists last month. The guests were deeply impressed by Jordan, especially the sense of security amid regional conflicts.

“After King Abdullah II of Jordan’s recent visit to China, we want to maintain this momentum and welcome more Chinese tourists to discover Petra and the Dead Sea,” he said.

Although regional tensions have shaken visitor confidence and hurt tourism revenues this year, more than 2,800 exhibitors — including hotel groups, attractions, destination management firms, aviation partners, and tourism authorities — participated in the travel expo, according to event organizers.

Meanwhile, Dubai is also stepping up efforts to promote its tourism sector, adding to its recovery after earlier setbacks due to the US-Iran war.

The emirate welcomed about 869,000 international overnight visitors in August, its highest monthly figure since February 2026.

Visitor arrivals posted double-digit month-on-month growth since March, bringing the total of international visitors to Dubai to 6.97 million for the first eight months of 2026, according to data from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, or DET.

Meanwhile, hotel occupancy hit 66 percent in August, reaching 89 percent of August 2025 figures and a sharp recovery from just 36 percent in March.

Dubai International Airport handled around 26.6 million passengers in the first five months of 2026, down year-on-year amid regional airspace disruptions and reduced international flight connectivity.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, or DCTCM, part of DET, voiced optimism about the sector’s performance.

“We are proud of the way our industry has performed over recent months, as Dubai continues to welcome international visitors at significant scale, supported by a source market mix that remains consistently diverse, (with) extensive hospitality infrastructure and an evolving destination offering,” he said.

This year, Dubai launched an AED2.5 billion ($680 million) support package for tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. The DET-led “A Dubai Invite” program encourages residents to invite friends and family to visit the emirate by providing subsidies.

Shahab Shayan, regional director of Asia-Pacific operations under the DCTCM, who has made several recent trips to China to deepen partnerships with platforms including Ctrip, Xiaohongshu and Meituan, said he looks forward to the return of Chinese travelers.

“Whenever the tourists are ready, we are always ready,” he said, adding that Dubai is also seeking to bring more Chinese companies into its tourism and wider economic ecosystem.

Ferras Hafez, associate director of commercial valuation at property consultancy Cavendish Maxwell, said the pace of recovery hinges on air connectivity and traveler confidence.

“Dubai’s hospitality recovery will depend on the timely restoration of international air connectivity and traveler confidence,” he said.

“However, the current slowdown should be viewed as a short-term, externally driven disruption rather than a change in the emirate’s long-term hospitality growth story, supported by resilient market fundamentals and a diversified tourism offering.”

As the Iran conflict has abruptly reshaped market dynamics and shaken traveler confidence, Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at travel consultancy firm Dragon Trail International, said Chinese outbound travel to the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA region, is only at the start of a tentative recovery after rapid expansion in prior years.

“Based on both consumer and trade research, we forecast that true recovery of Chinese tourism to MENA will not come before (China’s) October National Day holiday in 2027 — assuming regional stability holds from now on. The Chinese travel market is highly safety-conscious, and rebuilding consumer confidence will take time,” she said.

Still, her firm’s latest report pointed to strong long-term optimism as China’s outbound tourism market has repeatedly proven its resilience, notably after the three-year COVID-19 pandemic.

“The China-GCC relationship is also stronger and more important than ever, with commitments from both sides to strengthen trade and innovation as well as bilateral tourism growth,” the report said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

“Chinese tourism to the region has grown on the back of business travel, which will continue to support aviation links and consumer confidence,” it added.

cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn