Source: People's Daily
Accelerating Tourism Recovery in the Middle East (International Perspective)
Countries are eagerly awaiting Chinese tourists
Tourists visit the scenic area of the Giza pyramids in Egypt.
Photo by Guan Kejiang, reporter of this newspaper
Inside the ancient city of Saudi Dlaiyah, vendors sell dates.
Photo by Abdullah
Core reading
Driven by the Dubai World Expo and the Qatar World Cup, many countries in the Middle East have stepped up measures to revitalize tourism, and regional tourism is accelerating its recovery. The analysis pointed out that the development of tourism will help promote the economic diversification of the Middle East region and achieve sustainable economic development.
According to a recent report released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, tourism in the Middle East rebounded strongly in 2022, returning to 83% of pre-pandemic levels. Tourism recovery in the region is expected to continue to accelerate this year. The report believes that the tourism industry in the Middle East has recovered rapidly, in addition to the policy support of various countries, but also benefited from the Dubai World Expo, Qatar World Cup and other activities.
Visitors grew significantly and recovery gained momentum
The latest data released by many countries in the Middle East show that the pace of regional tourism recovery is accelerating. According to data released by the Dubai Economic and Tourism Authority in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai attracted 14.36 million international tourists in 2022, an increase of 97% over 2021 and close to pre-pandemic levels. More than 800 hotels in Dubai currently have an average occupancy rate of 73%, with an average room rate of 536 dirhams (1 yuan about 0.53 dirhams), up from 415 dirhams in 2019.
Egypt's tourism revenue reached a record $4.1 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, according to a report by the Central Bank of Egypt in early February. From July to September 2022, the number of international tourists arriving in Egypt reached 3.4 million, an increase of 52% year-on-year.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup is the first World Cup event to be held in the Middle East, attracting around 1.5 million visitors from around the world. Statistics show that hosting the World Cup has brought Qatar about $17 billion in revenue. The Dubai World Expo, which ended last year, also attracted 24 million visitors from more than 192 countries and regions.
Last December, a meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Tourism selected Doha, the capital of Qatar, as the "Arab Tourism Capital 2023". The meeting said that Qatar's infrastructure construction to host the World Cup will provide support for the long-term development of tourism.
The tourism market in other countries in the Middle East is also recovering rapidly. Officially, more than 18 million international tourists visited Saudi Arabia last year. According to data released by the Jordan Tourism Authority, about 5 million international tourists visited Jordan in 2022, and the country's tourism revenue reached 4.123 billion Jordanian dinars (1 yuan is about 0.1 Jordanian dinar), which is already higher than the level in 2019.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said: "Governments in the Middle East continue to make significant investments in the tourism industry, which will have a huge positive impact on economic and social development. Despite the impact of the pandemic on regional tourism, we are now very optimistic about the prospects for the recovery of the industry. ”
Introduce revitalization policies and improve infrastructure
In recent years, countries in the Middle East have launched tourism revitalization measures to promote economic diversification.
Saudi Arabia, for example, plans to invest $1.5 trillion over 10 years to become one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world by 2030.
Located on the outskirts of Riyadh, the ancient city of Dıiyeh is the birthplace of the Kingdom and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. In January, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed announced the inclusion of the Draiyah tourism project in five mega-infrastructure projects led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The De Riye tourism project is expected to invest 20 billion US dollars to attract 27 million tourists by 2030, forming a comprehensive integration of museums, entertainment, dining and shopping.
Developing tourism is an important part of Qatar's National Vision 2030. The country aims to attract 6 million tourists by 2030, with tourism-related revenues accounting for 12% of GDP and doubling the number of people employed in tourism.
Akbar Al Becker, Chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority and CEO of Qatar Airways Group, said that the Qatar World Cup has given the world a global taste of Qatar's culture and heritage, and this year Qatar will host a series of events including professional tennis, the World MotoGP, Formula 1 Rally and other sporting events. To further boost tourism, Qatar also recently announced the extension of the validity of the World Cup "Fan Card" until January 2024.
In 2022, Egypt established a tourism and antiquities support fund to further encourage local tourism development and attract tourism investment. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities works with several governments and the private sector to improve tourism infrastructure and service quality by increasing the number of flights and hotels, simplifying tourist visa procedures, and improving internet speeds in hotels. According to statistics, in 2022, 431 hotels, shopping malls, etc. will be added across Egypt.
In recent years, Middle Eastern countries have also vigorously promoted the digital transformation of the tourism industry. Currently, more than 70 countries and territories can obtain the Egypt tourist e-visa. In December, attractions such as Egyptian archaeological sites and museums issued about 1.7 million e-tickets to visitors. Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, said Egypt will vigorously promote tourism and strive to attract 30 million international tourists per year by 2028.
Saudi Arabia proposed a digital tourism strategy in 2022, including the launch of a digital platform to integrate travel service providers into the app; Support tourism-related technology applications, such as virtual reality. At the same time, it encourages the establishment and attraction of tourism investment through digital platforms and the creation of new digital business models.
According to a report by international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, the recovery of tourism can help diversify the Middle East's economy and achieve sustainable development. 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 expanding the tourism industry.
Provide quality services to attract Chinese tourists
According to the World Tourism Organization, 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.
Ferrari World Theme Park, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, recently welcomed the first Chinese tour group in nearly three years. More than 60 Chinese tourists walked the red carpet at the entrance of the park to receive souvenirs and special perks of free admission. Dejana Taylor, General Manager of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, said: "We miss the Chinese visitors so much and can't wait to welcome everyone here. ”
In 2018, Dubai established the "Embrace China" Executive Committee, one of the main tasks of the Executive Committee is to cooperate with the mutual visa exemption arrangement reached between the Chinese government and the UAE government to attract Chinese tourists and provide related services, including setting up Chinese signs at major attractions, encouraging training Chinese tour guides, and opening Chinese tourist hotlines. Issam Qazim, head of Dubai Tourism Authority, recently expressed his ardent expectations for Chinese tourists through a video: "We are ready to welcome Chinese tourists back. With more new attractions and experiences waiting for you, it's time to create new memories here. ”
EgyptAir recently announced that it will increase the number of flights between Egypt and China to 13 per week from March. EgyptAir Chairman Yahya Zakaria said that Egypt and China are both ancient civilizations with long history, and Egypt is looking forward to the arrival of Chinese tourists.
"We welcome Chinese tourists to come here and enjoy the food." Karim, head of a traditional cuisine restaurant in the Zamalek area of 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 Shoukairi said: "I look forward to more and more Chinese tourists coming to Egypt to visit the monuments of civilization." We will provide good service for Chinese tourists. ”
(Dubai, Cairo)