Travel leaders at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held in Dubai from 14 to 17 September, examined the growth of the Asia-GCC travel corridor, with speakers highlighting visa access, digital payments and tourism products tailored to Asian travellers as factors supporting continued demand.
The session was moderated by Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at Dragon Trail International, and featured Shahab Abdollah Shayan, regional director, Asia Pacific, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; Aaron Goldring, senior economist at Oxford Economics; Frederic Brohez, chief operating officer at Pulse Hotels & Resorts; and Waad Melliti, senior business manager at the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).
Goldring said nearly 165 million overnight guests travelled from Asia-Pacific into the GCC in 2025, more than 160% higher than in 2019.
“There were record numbers in 2025 for travel into the GCC from Asia-Pacific – nearly 165 million overnight guests. That’s more than 160% higher in just six years, and we had a pandemic in the middle of that. There has been significant growth from key source markets like India, which is a huge market already and very important to the UAE. The GCC also saw 10% growth from China during that period,” Goldring said.
The growth highlights the importance of Asian outbound travel for destinations seeking to diversify their international visitor markets, including those in Africa.
For Gulf destinations, improving access has been central to attracting these travellers.
Shayan said Dubai had focused on removing visa barriers and making the visitor experience more seamless for Chinese travellers.
“One of the first things you need to consider when you want to double down on a market is accessibility, so we looked at how we could remove the barrier of visas for Chinese travellers coming into Dubai and the UAE. In 2016, we managed to actually achieve that.
“The second point was how we could make it more seamless for Chinese travellers while they are in Dubai,” Shayan added. “That was about ensuring that we have all the payment systems available to us – training the Central Bank, the malls, the suppliers and other stakeholders in the city to be able to accept Alipay, WeChat Pay, etc.
"So, essentially, what we’ve done for Chinese travellers is take away all the big barriers that they would have when travelling anywhere else, and welcome them with just their passport and their phone.”
Melliti said visa-related reforms had also supported travel between the GCC and China.
“China achieved complete visa-free coverage across all the GCC countries in 2018, and the numbers are extremely encouraging. In 2025, arrivals to China from the six GCC countries exceeded 150,000, representing a 100% increase compared with 2024.
"Arrivals from Saudi Arabia increased by around 110%, while UAE arrivals increased by 113%. These numbers reflect the extreme interest of GCC travellers in visiting and discovering China.”
For African tourism destinations, the developments underline the importance of reducing friction for long-haul visitors, from entry requirements to payments and the wider visitor experience.
Brohez said hospitality operators also need to ensure they develop the right products and reach the right customers through appropriate channels.
“From an operator’s perspective, it’s about making sure we’re creating the right product, that we’re targeting it at the right customer and through the right channels. As we see travellers look for experiential holidays and vacations – from the GCC, of course, but also across Asia and the world – we are keen to bring new brands to life to reflect that.”
For African operators, the point is relevant as destinations seek to attract a wider range of international source markets and convert interest into actual arrivals through products and services that meet changing traveller expectations.
Danielle Curtis, regional portfolio director – UAE at RX Global, said the corridor represented an opportunity for the travel and tourism industry.
“The Asia-GCC corridor clearly represents a huge opportunity for the travel and tourism industry. Public and private sector leaders in both regions have gone to great lengths to enable accessible, seamless, visa-free travel, and those efforts will no doubt continue paying dividends as increasing numbers of visitors look to explore and experience what the Middle East and Asia-Pacific markets have to offer.”
The discussion formed part of ATM 2026's 'Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology' programme, which examined the impact of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and evolving traveller expectations on tourism.
