The tourism industry in the Middle East is accelerating its recovery, and countries are eagerly looking forward to Chinese tourists

Driven by the Dubai World Expo and Qatar World Cup, many countries in the Middle East have stepped up their efforts to promote tourism, and the regional tourism industry is accelerating its recovery. The analysis points out that the development of tourism is conducive to promoting economic diversification and achieving sustainable economic development in the Middle East.

According to a report recently released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the tourism industry in the Middle East will rebound strongly in 2022, returning to 83% of the level before the COVID-19 epidemic. It is expected that the tourism industry in the region will continue to accelerate its recovery this year. According to the report, the rapid recovery of tourism in the Middle East is due to the policy support of various countries, as well as the holding of the Dubai World Expo, Qatar World Cup and other events.

Significant growth of tourists and strong recovery momentum

The latest data released by many countries in the Middle East show that the recovery of regional tourism is accelerating. According to the data released by the Dubai Economic and Tourism Administration of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai attracted 14.36 million international tourists in 2022, an increase of 97% over 2021 and close to the pre-epidemic level. At present, the average occupancy rate of more than 800 hotels in Dubai is 73%, and the average room rate is 536 dirhams (about 0.53 dirhams), which is higher than 415 dirhams in 2019.

According to the report of the Central Bank of Egypt in early February, Egypt's tourism revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 reached a record $4.1 billion. From July to September 2022, 3.4 million international tourists arrived in Egypt, an increase of 52% year on year.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is the first World Cup event held in the Middle East, attracting about 1.5 million tourists from around the world. Statistics show that the holding of the World Cup has brought about US $17 billion in revenue to Qatar. The Dubai World Expo, which ended last year, also attracted 24 million visitors from more than 192 countries and regions.

Last December, the meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Tourism selected Doha, the capital of Qatar, as the "Arab Tourism Capital in 2023". The meeting said that Qatar's infrastructure construction for the World Cup will provide support for the long-term development of tourism.

The tourism market of other countries in the Middle East is also recovering rapidly. According to official statistics, more than 18 million international tourists visited Saudi Arabia last year. According to the data released by the Jordanian Tourism Administration, about 5 million international tourists visited Jordan in 2022, and the country's tourism revenue reached 4.123 billion Jordanian dinars (1 yuan, about 0.1 Jordanian dinar), which is higher than the level in 2019.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Tourism and Travel Council, said: "Governments in the Middle East continue to make major investments in the tourism industry, which will have a huge positive impact on economic and social development. Although the epidemic has impacted the regional tourism industry, we are now very optimistic about the prospects for industry recovery."

Issue revitalization policies and improve infrastructure

In recent years, countries in the Middle East have launched tourism revitalization measures to promote economic diversification.

Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, the country plans to invest 1.5 trillion US dollars in 10 years and strive to become one of the top ten tourism destinations in the world by 2030.

Located in the suburb of Riyadh, the ancient city of Draiye, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was included in the UNESCO The World Heritage List in 2010. In January this year, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed announced that the Derayye tourism project would be included in the five super-large infrastructure construction projects led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The Delaiye tourism project is expected to invest $20 billion and attract 27 million tourists by 2030, forming a comprehensive facility integrating museum, entertainment, catering and shopping.

The development of tourism is an important part of Qatar's "2030 National Vision". The country strives to attract 6 million tourists by 2030, with tourism related income accounting for 12% of GDP and tourism practitioners doubling.

Akbar Al Becker, Chairman of Qatar Tourism Administration and CEO of Qatar Airlines Group, said that the Qatar World Cup has given the world a taste of Qatar's culture and heritage. This year Qatar will also host a series of sports events including professional tennis, the World Motorcycle Championship, Formula One Rally and other sports events. In order to further promote the development of tourism, Qatar recently announced that the validity of the World Cup "fan card" will be extended to January 2024.

In 2022, Egypt established a tourism and cultural relics support fund to further encourage the development of tourism and attract tourism investment. The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Relics of Egypt has cooperated with many governments and private sectors to improve the tourism infrastructure and service quality by increasing the number of flights and hotels, simplifying the tourist visa procedures, and improving the Internet speed of hotels. According to statistics, 431 hotels and shopping centers were added in Egypt in 2022.

In recent years, countries in the Middle East have also vigorously promoted the digital transformation of tourism. At present, more than 70 countries and regions can obtain electronic visas for Egyptian tourism. In December last year, Egypt's archaeological sites and museums and other scenic spots issued about 1.7 million electronic tickets to tourists. Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Cultural Relics Ahmed Issa said that Egypt would vigorously promote the development of tourism and strive to achieve the goal of attracting 30 million international tourists annually by 2028.

Saudi Arabia proposed a digital tourism strategy in 2022, including launching a digital platform to integrate tourism service providers into applications; Support technology applications related to tourism, such as virtual reality technology. At the same time, we encourage the establishment and attraction of tourism investment through digital platforms and the development of innovative digital business models.

The relevant report of PricewaterhouseCoopers, an international accounting firm, believes that the recovery of the tourism industry is conducive to the economic diversification and sustainable development of the Middle East. Relevant countries should increase the application of digital technology and the training of relevant personnel in the tourism industry to lay a solid foundation for further expansion of the tourism industry.

Provide high-quality services to attract Chinese tourists

The report of the World Tourism Organization pointed out that China's optimization of epidemic prevention and control measures will provide strong support for the recovery of the global tourism industry. At present, countries in the Middle East have taken various measures to welcome Chinese tourists.

The Ferrari World Theme Park in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, recently welcomed the first Chinese tourist group in nearly three years. More than 60 Chinese tourists walked through the red carpet laid at the entrance of the park to receive souvenirs and special privileges of free admission. "We miss Chinese tourists very much and can't wait to welcome you here," said Djana Taylor, general manager of Ferrari World Theme Park in Abu Dhabi

In 2018, Dubai set up the "Embrace China" Executive Committee. One of the main tasks of the Executive Committee is to cooperate with the visa exemption arrangement between the Chinese government and the United Arab Emirates government, attract Chinese tourists and provide relevant services, including setting up Chinese signs in major scenic spots, encouraging the training of Chinese tour guides, and opening a Chinese tourist hotline. Isam Kazim, head of the Dubai Tourism Administration, recently expressed his ardent expectation for Chinese tourists through video: "We are ready to welcome Chinese tourists back. More new attractions and new experiences are waiting for you. It is time to create new memories here."

Egypt Airlines recently announced that it would increase the number of flights between Egypt and China to 13 per week from March. Yehya Zakaria, Chairman of Egyptian Airlines, said that Egypt and China are both ancient civilizations with a long history, and Egypt is looking forward to the arrival of Chinese tourists.

"We welcome Chinese tourists to enjoy delicious food here." Karim, the head of a traditional gourmet restaurant in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, said that the return of Chinese tourists will greatly promote the development of Egyptian tourism and promote the prosperity of global tourism.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Shukari said: "We expect more and more Chinese tourists to visit Egypt and visit ancient cultural relics. We will provide good services for Chinese tourists."