(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 29th March, 2017 (WAM) -- Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi, has announced that it is embarking on two separate trips to five cities across China in March and May to capitalise on the growing popularity of the emirate as a tourist destination from Asia.
Inbound visitor arrivals from China have seen dramatic rises over the past few years, with the number of hotel guest growing by 31 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year. China is now the emirate's third-largest overseas source market for hotel guests, behind India and the UK, contributing 337,353 guest nights last year.
TCA Abu Dhabi is heading to China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market, COTTM, for a three-day event being held from 29th - 31st March at the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre in Beijing, China. Now in its 13th year, COTTM is regarded as one of the industry's most important platforms in Asia and remains the only business-to-business event in China focusing purely on the burgeoning outbound market.
In May, the authority will be leading a large delegation of hotels, attractions and tour operators to China with stops in Chengdu, Wuhan, Guangzhou and Nanjing as the emirate strives to reach its ambitious target of 600,000 Chinese visitors a year by 2021.
The increased initiative to attract visitors from China has gained momentum following the UAE government's recent law allowing Chinese visitors to acquire a visa on arrival to Abu Dhabi International Airport, as well the efforts to develop a broad range of products and packages that meet expectations for Chinese travellers.
Numerous tourist attractions and hotels in Abu Dhabi have received the China Tourism Academy's "Welcome Chinese Certification", awarded to distinguished hospitality establishments and destinations that offer high-quality services to Chinese visitors, including Mandarin-speaking staff members.
WAM/NOS/Esraa
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