UAE hosts largest ever gathering of Chinese travel industry professionals

Destinations strengthen ties as China’s outbound industry grows

The United Arab Emirates has hosted the largest ever gathering of Chinese travel industry professionals ever staged outside of China.

The China Visitors Summit (CVS), in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, saw nearly 160 leading Chinese travel industry buyers attend, with 3,000 business appointments held over two days of meetings.

Travel agencies, tour operators, luxury agencies, wholesalers, meetings and events managers and corporate travel planners all travelled to the UAE to meet face-to-face with the host country’s tourism suppliers, such as hotels, destinations, attractions, museums, inbound tour operators and shopping malls.

Collectively, the buyers generated nearly $1 billion in global outbound travel business last year, representing more than 1.5 million international travelers.

China has about 200 million passport holders and there were approximately the same number of global trips made by Chinese travelers in the past year, with more than $300 billion spent annually worldwide.

“The China Visitors Summit is not just about meetings – it’s about building long-term partnerships between the UAE and China’s most powerful travel industry leaders,” said Alexander Glos, chief executive of the China i2i Group, which organised the event.

“Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE are now firmly positioned as must-visit destinations for Chinese travelers, and the CVS provides the direct access, insights, and opportunities that suppliers need to succeed in this market.”