China Largest Source of Tourists for Abu Dhabi

A total of 242,000 tourists from China visited Abu Dhabi between January and August, making the country the largest source of tourists, the head of the city's tourism department said on Thursday.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, director of Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, added that in the first eight months, Chinese tourists to Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, increased by 68% year-on-year, China.org reported.

Ghobash revealed the figures in Shanghai at "Abu Dhabi Week in China", the first promotional activity launched by the city in China.

Leisure and business trips from China to Abu Dhabi have soared since visa policies were eased at the beginning of the year.

Abu Dhabi officials said the city is expected to welcome about 600,000 visitors from China in 2021.

To attract more Chinese visitors, many tourist attractions in the city are improving their services, such as providing Chinese-speaking tour guides and promoting China UnionPay, the country's largest bank card payment processor.