Mubasher: Chinese visitors to the GCC are expected to increase by 21% to reach 2.5 million visitors annually by 2021, according to data released by Colliers International Company ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018 event.
Saudi Arabia will top the region in terms of the number of Chinese arrivals to the country with a 35% growth, compared to 2016 figures.
“GCC countries currently attract 1.9% of China’s total outbound market, up from 1.3% in 2012, however positive trends are expected to continue as 154 million Chinese tourists prepare to go abroad in 2018 and a predicted 244 million follow in 2022,” the Canada-based company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the numbers of China’s visitors to the UAE and Oman are forecast to jump by 20% and 12%, respectively.
Bahrain and Kuwait are also expected to receive 7% more visitors each, Colliers International’s data showed.
“The outbound Chinese market represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers and the GCC has been a destination of choice for years,” Simon Press, senior exhibition director at ATM, commented.
