Chinese exhibitors and travel professionals are returning to Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023 for the first time in three years, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 1-4 May. This return follows China lifting its COVID-related travel restrictions on 8th January 2023, which allowed Chinese tourists to travel abroad without quarantine upon their return.

A CNN report states that Steve Saxon, a partner at McKinsey based in Shenzhen, predicts that the Chinese outbound market will recover to around six million per month by the summer of 2023, driven partly by pent-up demand, especially from young and affluent Chinese.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, commented that China became the world’s top source market in 2019, with 155 million tourists spending more than $250 billion overseas. However, China’s isolation from the global market over the past three years has set the industry back by an estimated $840 billion, equivalent to 16% of the $1.7 trillion spent annually on global tourism, according to UNWTO.

Dubai welcomed almost one million Chinese visitors in 2019, an increase of over 15% compared with 2018. While the 154,000 Chinese visitors Dubai received over the first 11 months of 2022 was down 83% compared to the same period before 2020, it was up 115% year-on-year, which bodes well for Dubai and the wider Middle East tourism sector.

Popular destinations such as Dubai, Saudi’s, AlUla, Egypt, and Jordan, which have consistently marketed to Chinese outbound business-to-consumer and business-to-business, should be in a solid position to benefit from the predicted rebound of Chinese visitor numbers.

The short-notice ATM 2023 has already confirmed the participation of critical Chinese exhibitors, such as FLIGHTROUTES24 Travel, Shenzhen GoodLuck Trip International, and Travel World China, with many more bookings anticipated ahead of the show. ATM is also organizing a dedicated conference session on its Global Stage, entitled ‘China is back on the map: Macro and micro impacts,’ in partnership with Dragon Trail International.

An expert panel of speakers, including Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director, Marketing and Communications for Dragon Trail International, Peggy Li, CEO & Chief Troubleshooter at sps:affinity, and Winnie Chiu, President of Dorsett Hospitality International, will discuss the latest trends driving the recovery of Chinese tourism to the Middle East.

Business travel will be integral to the tourism revival. According to a recent survey by the Shanghai Institute of International Studies and PwC China, over 75% of Chinese businesses polled were looking to enter or expand their presence in the Middle East over the next three to five years, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia being top destinations for investors.

ATM 2023 will also explore the future of sustainable travel in line with its theme of ‘Working Towards Net Zero.’ The conference program will enable delegates to identify growth strategies within key vertical sectors while providing a platform for regional experts to explore a sustainable future ahead of COP28, which will take place in November 2023 at Expo City Dubai.

The conference will also feature a sustainability category at its annual exhibitor awards for the first time. Exhibiting organizations will be recognized based on the extent to which they have considered the environmental impact of their stands and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

ATM 2023 is held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre. Its strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, and IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner.

Written by: Stephen Morton

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