· Gulf hospitality firms can attract younger
Chinese tourists with tech-enabled services and unique experiences, according
to experts speaking at ATM 2019
· The GCC is expected to attract 2.9 million
Chinese visitors by 2022 as regional governments work to strengthen bilateral
ties with the source market
· China’s overseas travellers top charts,
spending USD 258 billion worldwide according to UNWTO figures
The GCC must deliver unique and tech-enabled
experiences designed for free independent travellers (FITs) if it is to grow
its market share among China’s outbound tourists, according to experts speaking
at Arabian
Travel Market (ATM) 2019.
The overall number of outbound tourists from
China is projected to hit 224 million by 2022, according to research conducted
by Colliers.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) figures show that the GCC is
on course to attract 2.9 million of these visitors.
Panellists speaking at the Arabia
China Tourism Forum, which took place on the Global Stage at ATM
2019, explored how Gulf states can boost Chinese visitation further and cater
to younger travellers arriving from the Far East.
Moderator Dr
Adam Wu, CEO of CBN Travel & MICE and World Travel Online, said:
“The trend is moving away from group travel to FITs. Approximately 51 per cent
of Chinese travellers [come from this segment]. They are travelling in smaller groups
but it’s also the age groups that are changing.”
Unique experiences represent a key component when
it comes to convincing younger Chinese travellers to visit the GCC. In addition
to comfortable accommodation and accessible amenities, panellists noted that
China’s FITs are looking for attractions that are not available in other
markets.
Terry
von Bibra, GM Europe, Alibaba Group, said: “Smaller
groups [of Chinese travellers] are going to new places to discover and have
unique experiences – special experiences that they can share with friends on
social media, which is very important.
“You cannot
underestimate the importance of the ideas of discovery and uniqueness. In my
job, I see this across all aspects of trade with China. [Customers] want to
understand why things are unique and special. The more you can help them
understand this, the better job you are doing.”
In addition to unique experiences, Xiuhuan
Gao, Head of Asian Market – Overseas Promotions Department, Sharjah
Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said that small, personal
touches are also helping the GCC’s hospitality sector to boost arrivals from
China, such as Chinese condiments and in-room snacks.
Gulf countries are already taking steps to
strengthen ties with China and appeal to the country’s international tourist
base. Chinese passport holders can obtain 30-day visas on arrival in Oman,
Bahrain and Kuwait, and the launch of Saudi Arabia’s tourist visa is expected
to lead to further increases.
Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce
Marketing (DTCM), meanwhile, has partnered with China’s Tencent to promote the
emirate as a preferred destination, and to bring the company’s WeChat and
WeChat Pay platforms to the UAE. Panellists agreed that GCC hotels must also do
more to facilitate a seamless visitor experience.
Rami
Moukarzel, Vice President of Development and Acquisitions – Middle
East and North Africa, Louvre Hotels Group, said: “We are seeing an influx of
Chinese travellers across all segments. As a hotel industry, we need to be
ready for the influx that is coming.”
Moukarzel told attendees that in addition to
establishing market-specific booking platforms and social media channels,
China-owned Louvre Hotels Group has also partnered with relevant mobile payment
systems to ensure that Chinese travellers enjoy a seamless experience when
visiting its Middle East properties.
According to figures released by the UNWTO,
Chinese visitors are the highest spending overseas travellers on the planet,
shelling out USD 258 billion in 2017. Attracting more of these individuals
would benefit national economies across the GCC.
As Gulf destinations account for approximately
one per cent of China’s outbound tourist market at present, the panel agreed
that there remains significant room for growth – as long as the hospitality
professionals create China-specific offerings and content that appeal to the
country’s shifting market demographics.
Designed to enable travel, tourism and
hospitality professionals to explore potential opportunities, the Arabia China
Tourism Forum is one of several events that will be hosted on ATM 2019’s Global
Stage this week. Other topics to be placed under the microscope include the
Saudi Arabian market, halal tourism and industry innovations.
Running until Wednesday, 1 May, ATM 2019 will
see more than 2,500 exhibitors showcase their products and services to visitors
at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Viewed
by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) tourism sector, last year’s edition of ATM welcomed 39,000 people,
representing the largest exhibition in the history of the show.
For full details of the ATM 2019 event programme,
visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com/en/events/Events-programme.
For more information
about ATM 2019, visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.
