Bookings by visitors to the UAE surged by 60 per cent, according to the travel website Trip.com.
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Lunar New Year has seen a remarkable spiral in Chinese tourism. The Chinese, like many nationals from other countries, love to travel, seeking to explore new places.
The Middle East is a great magnetic hotspot. Bookings by visitors to the UAE surged by 60 per cent, according to the travel website Trip.com. Travel between the UAE and China has become very seamless as visas are not required for citizens of both countries.
Travel to Saudi Arabia also spiralled, multiplying nine-fold since 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic struck China.
Visitor numbers and spending in destinations including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia exceeded pre-COVID levels.
Visa-free access for Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asia countries gave a solid fillip to traffic and signalled a robust revival in…