ANALYSIS / CHINESE VISITOR SUMMIT
according to Sun Anqing, President of Shanghai Pan Asia International Travel Service. He said: “We have seen a lot of publicity in China about The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa in particular and discovering the destination for ourselves will help us to better sell it to our clients.” For Bu Ming, Deputy General Manager,
UAE-CHINA FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY
Etihad Airways offers direct flights to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. In August this year, the Abu Dhabi-based airline signed a codeshare agreement with China Eastern Airlines, a move that is expected to attract business and leisure travellers to both destinations. James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad, says the initiative will expand both carriers’ networks in a commercially viable and mutually beneficial way while offering customers more travel option.
Meanwhile, Emirates Airline operates daily flights to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai from its Dubai
hub. The carrier also deploys its superjumbo Airbus A380 aircraft to flights to Beijing and Shanghai as the routes become popular among passengers.
Outbound Tours Center at the Shanghai China Travel International, the summit served as an ideal meeting place for Chinese tour operators and UAE hoteliers and destination managers to network and exchange information. “Luxury groups will be drawn to Emirates
Palace, but they need to stay longer to experience and fully appreciate the hotel’s amenities. Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara will also generate some interest because of its unique location. Tourists who are looking for an extensive retail experience will be keen to visit The Dubai Mall and other huge shopping malls in Dubai,” said Ming.
UAE ON THE RADAR China is becoming an increasingly important market for hoteliers and retailers – the two main groups currently benefitting from the influx of travellers. However, the relationship is still in its infancy. “The UAE is receiving just a tiny fraction of
outbound Chinese travellers, which numbered 70 million last year and China is expected to become the world’s leading source market for tourism within the next few years,” said NPI’s Nicholas. “Right now Chinese visitors here are just 0.3 percent of China’s total outbound market and just three percent of Dubai’s hotel guests in 2011 – yet luxury retailers have been telling us for a long time that the Chinese are their best customers.”
The Dubai conference was held at The
Meydan Hotel, with buyer familiarisation sessions provided by Faisal Lutfi of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment and Natalie Bogdanova, General Manager of The Dubai Mall. Dinner receptions at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai
and Jumeirah Creekside Hotel followed during the week and, among other activities, delegates experienced Burj Khalifa’s observation deck 'At the Top’, which offers stunning vistas of the city. Marc Descrozaille, Regional Director, UAE,
Jordan and Egypt at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, emphasised the summit’s commitment to facilitating potential business opportunities. “By spreading the summit across Abu Dhabi
and Dubai, it gave the delegates a chance to really experience what the destinations have to offer and see all the key tourist destinations first hand, which will of course help in promoting the UAE,” he said. The summit was especially timely due to
the growing interest among Chinese travellers to learn more about the UAE as a destination,
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