International, September 15 : The Arabian Travel Market opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, yesterday (Monday), with “Travel to China” emerging as one of the major attractions drawing visitors’ attention at the exhibition.

Regarded as the largest and most influential international tourism fair in the Middle East, this year’s Arabian Travel Market will continue through the 17th. According to the organizers, more than 2,800 exhibitors are taking part in this year’s event, while the total number of participants is expected to reach 55,000.

A total of 28 Chinese tourism companies are participating in the China exhibition area, the highest number to date. During the fair, Chinese companies have held a series of face-to-face discussions with tourism organizations from the Middle East and other parts of the world, while presenting customized travel itineraries specifically designed for tourists from the Middle East.

A tourism businessman from the Middle East said demand for “travel to China” in the market has increased explosively since China introduced a visa-free policy for GCC countries. He expressed hope that more tourists from the Middle East will visit China during the upcoming tourism season.

Source: Tuhina, Touhid, Shuai, China Media Group.