The rapidly expanding tourism corridor between Asia-Pacific and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries could become one of the Middle East’s major travel growth engines as governments remove visa barriers and improve connectivity, industry executives have said.
Overnight visitors travelling from Asia-Pacific into GCC countries reached 164.8 million in 2025, representing growth of 161 per cent compared with 2019, according to figures presented by Oxford Economics during Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai.
The figures underline the increasing commercial importance of travellers from major Asian markets including China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia to destinations across the Gulf.
Industry executives discussed the trend during a session at ATM 2026 examining how greater accessibility, simpler visa arrangements and more seamless travel experiences could accelerate traffic between the two regions.
The panel brought together representatives from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Oxford Economics, Pulse Hotels & Resorts and the World Tourism Cities Federation.
India, China Drive Asian Demand
Oxford Economics Senior Economist Aaron Goldring described 2025 as a record year for Asia-Pacific travel into the GCC.
India is already a major source market for the UAE, while the GCC recorded about 10 per cent growth from China over the period discussed by the panel.
The scale of the increase suggests Asia’s expanding middle class could become increasingly important to airlines, hotels, tourism authorities, attractions and retailers across the Gulf.
China and India are particularly significant because of the size of their populations and expanding international travel markets.
But attracting travellers requires more than adding flights.
Industry executives argued that reducing friction throughout the visitor journey — from obtaining permission to travel to making payments after arrival — could determine which destinations capture the largest share of future growth.
Dubai Points to Visa Reform
Shahab Abdollah Shayan, Regional Director for Asia Pacific at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said accessibility was one of the first issues Dubai examined when seeking to increase arrivals from China.
He said the UAE removed visa barriers for Chinese travellers in 2016.
Attention then shifted towards making the experience easier after visitors arrived, including ensuring payment systems commonly used by Chinese consumers were accepted.
That involved preparing stakeholders including financial institutions, shopping centres and suppliers to accommodate platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The strategy highlights how digital payments have become part of tourism infrastructure.
Travellers accustomed to mobile wallets at home increasingly expect similar convenience overseas, making payment compatibility potentially as important to visitor experience as transport and accommodation.
GCC Travel to China Also Surges
Growth is moving in both directions.
Waad Melliti, Senior Business Manager at the World Tourism Cities Federation, said China had achieved visa-free coverage for travellers from all six GCC countries by 2018.
According to figures she presented, arrivals in China from the six Gulf countries exceeded 150,000 in 2025, representing a 100 per cent increase compared with 2024.
Arrivals from Saudi Arabia increased by around 110 per cent, while those from the UAE climbed 113 per cent.
That two-way growth makes the Asia-GCC corridor particularly important commercially.
Airlines can potentially benefit from passenger flows in both directions, while hotels, retailers, tour operators and attractions gain access to expanding visitor markets.
Hospitality Companies Adjust Products
The growth is also influencing the hotel sector.
Pulse Hotels & Resorts Chief Operating Officer Frederic Brohez said hospitality operators need to ensure they are creating appropriate products, targeting the right customers and reaching them through suitable distribution channels.
Travellers are increasingly seeking experiential holidays, requiring hotel companies to adapt their brands and products to changing expectations across both the GCC and Asian markets.
The implication is that increasing visitor numbers alone will not guarantee commercial success.
Businesses will need to understand cultural preferences, spending behaviour, booking channels, payment methods and the types of experiences different traveller groups expect.
Aviation Could Benefit From Growing Corridor
The rapid expansion also creates opportunities for airlines.
The Gulf already occupies a strategic geographical position between Asia, Europe and Africa, with major aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha connecting large numbers of international passengers.
Greater point-to-point travel between Asian and Gulf destinations could strengthen that position further.
Visa liberalisation can be particularly influential because complicated entry requirements can discourage discretionary leisure trips even when direct flights are available.
Removing those obstacles, alongside improving digital services and transport connections, could therefore make travel between the regions easier.
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director for the UAE at RX Global, said public and private sector organisations in both regions had already invested heavily in making travel more accessible and seamless.
She said the Asia-GCC corridor represents a significant opportunity as more travellers seek experiences across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Technology Reshapes Tourism Competition
The discussion took place under ATM 2026’s “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology” theme.
Artificial intelligence, digital transformation, smart mobility and changing traveller expectations were among the issues examined throughout the event.
ATM Travel Tech, the event’s co-located technology platform, featured more than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries, with demonstrations covering AI, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, fintech and green technologies.
These developments suggest the next stage of competition for international tourists will involve much more than advertising destinations.
Visa policy, flight connectivity, digital payments, artificial intelligence, hotel products and the ease with which travellers can move through destinations are becoming interconnected parts of the tourism economy.
With Asia-Pacific visitor numbers to GCC countries already significantly above their 2019 level, industry leaders see further room for expansion.
The challenge for Gulf destinations will be turning that rising travel demand into repeat visits and sustained spending while making the journey increasingly simple from booking and border entry through to payment and accommodation.
