"I must visit China immediately — I simply can't wait," said Vivian Kobe at the China pavilion after experiencing a virtual reality showcase chronicling Guangzhou's historical legacy and modern development in South China's Guangdong province.

As a trade delegate to Arabian Travel Market 2025 — the Middle East's premier travel trade fair held in Dubai from April 28 to May 1 — she joined over 55,000 industry professionals and 2,800 exhibitors from 166 countries.

"This immersive experience gave me profound insights into China despite never having visited," said Kobe, who runs a travel agency in Kisumu, Kenya. "Guangzhou now tops my must-visit list among Chinese cities."

Titled Guangfumenghualu, meaning dream of Guangzhou, the VR production vividly juxtaposes the city's heritage as the Maritime Silk Road's origin point with its cutting-edge urban development.

Zhong Kai, a China pavilion representative from Guangzhou, said the film uses the same groundbreaking visual technology behind globally acclaimed works such as Nezha 2 and Black Myth: Wukong.

The "Nihao China"-themed pavilion, curated by the UAE China Cultural Center, spotlights cutting-edge inbound tourism services alongside an exclusive exhibition zone for intangible cultural heritage artifacts.

Liu Yang, director of the cultural institute, said the delegation comprised seven government tourism bodies and 26 enterprises from 13 regions presenting a unified national showcase.

"While Middle Eastern destinations attract growing numbers of Chinese visitors, tourist flows in the reverse direction remain modest. That's precisely why we're here to promote China's tourism offerings," he said.

The pavilion has generated 150 formal inquiries for group itineraries, according to the cultural center, with premium business tours and customized packages for the Greater Bay Area, Yangtze River Delta and Southwest China dominating demand.

Liang Jiexian, who works for a travel agency in Shenzhen, said most tourists from the Middle East visit Guangdong for business, especially for exhibitions like the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair.

Since late 2023, China's unilateral visa-waiver program has permitted 30-day visa-free stays for ordinary passport holders from 38 nations.

"China's groundbreaking tourism initiatives are setting remarkable benchmarks," said Abdulla Yousuf, director of travel trade and markets development for the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, the Middle East is emerging as an important destination for Chinese outbound travelers, buoyed by exotic cultural offerings, tourist-friendly infrastructure, and strengthening bilateral relations.

Capitalizing on the strategic partnerships between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council members, where China ranks among the top three tourism markets, Abu Dhabi is intensifying its appeal to Chinese visitors through tailored initiatives.

"Our market analysis revealed young Chinese women as primary travel decision-makers," Yousuf said. "That's why we selected Chinese actress Liu Yifei as our global tourism ambassador."

Dubai remains the gateway for Chinese travelers, welcoming 824,000 visitors in 2024, a 31 percent year-on-year surge.

The tourism sector is one of the key pillars for Dubai's new economic agenda called "D33" as the emirate seeks economic diversification and to become one of the top tourism destinations, said Shahab Abdulla Shayan, regional director for Asia Pacific International Operations Department at Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

"Our enhanced 90-day visa-on-arrival policy, combined with full support on Chinese payment systems such as WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay, and 15 direct flight routes, including Emirates' newly launched Dubai-Shenzhen service, positions Dubai for sustained growth in the China market," Shayan said.

For Qatar, the Chinese market now ranks among the top 10 inbound tourism destinations, said Jassim Mahmoud, director of communications and public relations at Visit Qatar. He said negotiations for a GCC Unified Visa which would allow single-entry access to all six member states, are "advancing".

"If GCC members adopt this policy, I think Chinese people will go to countries as a package. I want the number of Chinese tourists to increase 100 times."