Dubai: The Market Insights Summit at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) recently shed light on the burgeoning potential of China’s tourism market. Held on the Global Stage, a focal point of the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism exhibition, the summit explored strategies to harness the projected growth in Chinese tourism.
Key speakers and insights
A panel of industry experts led the discussions, offering valuable insights into effective approaches for attracting and engaging Chinese travelers. Among the distinguished panelists were Sukhpreet Singh Ghataura, Director of Ecosystem Development at MEAI Huawei, Lu Pan, Marketing VP at Shanghai Dongfang Newspaper Co., Ltd, and Sienna Parulis Cook, Director of Marketing and Communications at Dragon Trail International.
Huawei's research findings
Ghataura presented the latest research from Huawei’s Petal Ads platform, highlighting a significant uptick in outbound Chinese tourists visiting the Middle East. Notably, between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, the region witnessed a 54% increase in Chinese visitors, with the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia emerging as top destinations. China’s outbound tourism expenditure in 2023 reached approximately US $265 billion, constituting 10% of global travel spending. Ghataura emphasized that cultural experiences drive Chinese travelers, with peak travel seasons including the May Day holiday, China National Day, and the Spring Festival.
Consumer preferences and trends
Huawei's research revealed that 66% of Middle Eastern travelers seek cultural experiences, while luxury offerings and sporting attractions also hold sway over outbound Chinese tourists. Moreover, there's been a notable rise in the senior middle-class segment, characterized by a preference for quality travel and increased disposable income.
Insights from Dragon Trail International
Parulis Cook shared insights from Dragon Trail International’s consumer research, indicating a significant surge in travel intention and confidence among Chinese travelers. Notably, the proportion of Chinese travelers reluctant to leave China decreased from 30% in 2023 to 10%. Additionally, 5% of surveyed travelers had already embarked on trips, while 18% had booked travel to multiple destinations within a region.
Factors driving travel
Cook highlighted the allure of scenic beauty as a primary motivator for Chinese travelers venturing beyond their homeland. Pan emphasized the potency of word-of-mouth alongside traditional and digital marketing channels in promoting tourism to Chinese audiences, describing the outbound tourism recovery as an "upward spiral."
Summits highlights
The summit spotlights ‘Luxury’, featuring speakers from esteemed international hospitality brands such as Raffles, The Lana (Dorchester Collection), Jumeirah, and Kempinski. Topics included leveraging one-off moments in luxury experiences and drawing insights from retail for luxury product development.
Another highlight was the unveiling of the ATM Best Stand Awards, recognizing excellence in stand design, business appeal, technological innovation, and sustainability across six categories.