The discussion, moderated by Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director
of Marketing and Communications at Dragon Trail International, brought together
representatives from Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Oxford Economics,
Pulse Hotels & Resorts and the World Tourism Cities Federation.
Aaron Goldring, Senior Economist at Oxford Economics, said:
“There were record numbers in 2025 for travel into the GCC from Asia-Pacific –
nearly 165 million overnight guests. That’s more than 160% higher in just six
years, and we had a pandemic in the middle of that. There has been significant
growth from key source markets like India, which is a huge market already and
very important to the UAE. [The GCC also saw] 10% growth from China during that
period.”
Shahab Abdollah Shayan, Regional Director Asia Pacific at
Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, highlighted visa-free access and
payment infrastructure as key factors in attracting Chinese visitors.
“One of the first things you need to consider when you want
to double down on a market is accessibility, so we looked at how we could
remove the barrier of visas for Chinese travellers coming into Dubai and the
UAE. In 2016, we managed to actually achieve that.
“The second point was how we could make it more seamless for
Chinese travellers while they are in Dubai,” Shayan added. “That was about
ensuring that we have all the payment systems available to us – training the
Central Bank, the malls, the suppliers and other stakeholders in the city to be
able to accept Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc. So, essentially, what we’ve done for
Chinese travellers is take away all the big barriers that they would have when
travelling anywhere else, and welcome them with just their passport and their
phone.”
Waad Melliti, Senior Business Manager at WTCF, highlighted
the impact of China’s visa reforms on GCC travel.
“China achieved complete visa-free coverage across all the
GCC countries in 2018, and the numbers are extremely encouraging. In 2025,
arrivals to China from the six GCC countries exceeded 150,000, representing a
100% increase compared with 2024. Arrivals from Saudi Arabia increased by
around 110%, while UAE arrivals increased by 113%. These numbers reflect the
extreme interest of GCC travellers in visiting and discovering China.”
Frederic Brohez, Chief Operating Officer at Pulse Hotels
& Resorts, said hospitality providers must adapt to changing traveller
preferences.
“From an operator’s perspective, it’s about making sure
we’re creating the right product, that we’re targeting it at the right customer
and through the right channels. As we see travellers look for experiential
holidays and vacations – from the GCC, of course, but also across Asia and the
world – we are keen to bring new brands to life to reflect that.”
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX
Global, said: “The Asia-GCC corridor clearly represents a huge opportunity for
the travel and tourism industry. Public and private sector leaders in both
regions have gone to great lengths to enable accessible, seamless, visa-free
travel, and those efforts will no doubt continue paying dividends as increasing
numbers of visitors look to explore and experience what the Middle East and
Asia-Pacific markets have to offer.”
ATM 2026, held under the theme Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology, explored the impact of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and changing traveller expectations on tourism. -TradeArabia News Service
