Saudi Arabia is accelerating its efforts to establish itself as a leading destination for Chinese travelers. Dragon Trail research highlights that the Kingdom has become one of the fastest-growing emerging destinations in the region for Chinese outbound tourism, supported by the Kingdom obtaining Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government in July 2024. This status allows Saudi Arabia to officially welcome Chinese tour groups and actively market group travel within China, marking a milestone in the Kingdom's tourism development strategy.

Under the ambitions of Vision 2030, the Kingdom targets 150 million visitors annually by the end of the decade, making tourism a key contributor to GDP.

Dragon Trail International revealed, through a white paper titled "Chinese Tourism to the Middle East and North Africa 2025," as part of discussions during the first edition of the World Travel Market Spotlight Riyadh, scheduled to be held at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Center this coming September. The event will bring together top international travel leaders, tourism boards, hospitality providers, airlines, travel technology companies, and buyers to explore the future of Saudi Arabia's rapidly evolving tourism economy. New research highlights the Kingdom's growing appeal to one of the world's most influential outbound tourism markets.

To support this growth, the Kingdom has intensified efforts to enhance readiness for Chinese tourists, including introducing Chinese signage at airports, offering tailor-made tourism products, improving payment systems, and expanding direct flight routes since 2023.

The report also notes that Saudi Arabia is increasingly benefiting from improved air connectivity and growing demand among Chinese travelers for new cultural and experiential destinations.

The report also identifies the Kingdom as one of the most dynamic tourism growth markets in the Middle East and North Africa region, driven by strong bilateral relations, infrastructure investments, and destination development.

On this occasion, Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director at RX, said:

"China represents one of the most influential outbound tourism markets globally, while the Kingdom continues to rapidly consolidate its position as an increasingly important destination for Chinese travelers."

"As the Kingdom continues to invest in air connectivity, visitor experiences, hospitality, and cultural infrastructure under Vision 2030, we are seeing a growing alignment between the Kingdom's tourism ambitions and the evolving preferences of Chinese travelers."

Curtis added: "The World Travel Market Spotlight Riyadh provides an ideal platform for the global travel and tourism industry to better understand this opportunity, strengthen partnerships, and explore how destinations, travel providers, and hospitality brands can more effectively engage with the growth of inbound tourism to the Kingdom and the wider Chinese tourism market."

The report also highlights broader shifts shaping Chinese outbound travel, including rising demand for independent travel, immersive cultural experiences, luxury hospitality, family travel, and digitally connected visitor experiences. Chinese travelers are increasingly seeking destinations that combine authenticity, accessibility, safety, and high service standards—areas where Saudi Arabia is continuing to expand its tourism offerings.

The World Travel Market Spotlight Riyadh will showcase the integrated tourism ecosystem, from destinations and hospitality providers to transport, travel technology, and experiential tourism products. The inaugural edition is expected to attract over 300 exhibitors, more than 7,000 regional and international visitors, and 150 international buyers, reflecting the growing global interest in Saudi Arabia's tourism transformation.

From an outbound travel perspective, increased air capacity has led to a 91% rise in flights between Greater China and Saudi Arabia in 2025 compared to 2024. This includes Saudia, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Air China, which operate direct flights between Riyadh and Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou; between Beijing and Dammam; and between Haikou and Jeddah.

Additionally, strong bilateral political relations and mutual cultural curiosity have created more opportunities for Chinese destinations to attract high-spending Saudi travelers seeking authentic experiences beyond traditional Western markets.

In this context, Siena Paroles-Cook, Marketing and Communications Director at Dragon Trail International, said: "The Middle East and North Africa region is one of the fastest-growing areas in Chinese outbound tourism, and the Kingdom plays an increasingly important role in this development. Chinese travelers are looking for destinations that offer distinctive cultural experiences, advanced hospitality infrastructure, and accessibility—all areas where the Kingdom is investing heavily."

She added: "As the dedicated research partner for World Travel Market Spotlight Riyadh, we look forward to sharing deeper insights into the evolving preferences, behaviors, and expectations of Chinese travelers as the Kingdom continues to expand its global tourism footprint."

Furthermore, according to the 2025 Travel Trends report by Tourism Economics, a subsidiary of Oxford Economics, leisure spending by Chinese visitors in the Middle East is expected to rise by approximately 130% between 2024 and 2030.