Dubai woos Chinese visitors with visa-free policy, new attractions
Museum of the Future
Dubai Tourism expects Chinese tourists to flock to Dubai for sightseeing, just like before the pandemic.
Dubai has added numerous new attractions, including Expo City Dubai, designed for the 2020 Dubai World Expo, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the Middle East's largest library, the Museum of the Future, and Sky Views Dubai.
A number of events will take place in Dubai in 2023, including the Dubai Food Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Dubai Fitness Challenges, and the Dubai Shopping Festival.
Earlier this week, Dubai Tourism introduced its new changes and developments over the last three years to travel agencies and airline partners in China at the "Dubai, Long Time No See" trade seminar in Shanghai.
The event will also roll into Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Qingdao.
Dubai had 14.36 million international overnight visitors last year, up 97 percent from 2021 and already touching 86 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Dubai's hotel industry had a world-leading 73 percent occupancy rate in 2022.
Sky Views Dubai
Dubai Tourism said it will introduce new and diverse attractions this year to boost tourism.
Following the resumption of outbound group tours for Chinese citizens on February 6 after a 3-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the tourism authorities have been actively promoting travel-related campaigns in China.
According to Dubai Tourism, China is one of the fastest-growing visitor source markets in the world.
China was Dubai's fifth-largest source market prior to the COVID-19 in 2019, with 989,000 visitors recorded in the year.
Following China's reopening of outbound tourism, Dubai continued to implement a visa-free policy for Chinese visitors as well as a "China Ready" strategy, offering Chinese tourists an even better experience with new attractions, Dubai Tourism said.
"As China gradually resumes cross-border travel, we eagerly await the return of Chinese tourists to Dubai," said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism.
"All Chinese visitors can travel to Dubai visa-free if their passport is valid for more than six months," he said. "Dubai is ready to welcome them back, and we already have a China-ready strategy in place."
