Chinese visitors to GCC will increase 54% by 2023, says latest ATM report

• 2.2 million Chinese tourists will travel to GCC in 2023 with CAGR growth of 4.8%
• Total Chinese tourism spend in GCC estimated to reach US$3.48 billion by 2023

The number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to increase 54% from 1.4 million in 2018 to 2.2 million in 2023, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.8%, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020.

As destinations from across the globe prepare to showcase their latest offering at ATM 2020, which is being held at Dubai World Trade Centre from Sunday 19 – Wednesday 22 April 2020, Colliers International predicts China will maintain its position as a top source market across the GCC, particularly in the UAE, where Chinese visitors are currently the second and fourth highest ranked source markets for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively.

Adding to this, the data predicts the UAE will continue to be the preferred GCC destination for Chinese tourists, welcoming a projected 1.9 million visitors by 2023. Saudi Arabia will follow with 1 million visitors, while Oman will welcome 76,900, Bahrain 26,300 and Kuwait 2,800.