Datafrommultipletravelplatformsindicatesthatduringthisyear'sSpringFestivalholiday,Chinesetourists'outboundtravelhasshownasignificantaccelerationinrecovery,withbookingvolumesreachinganearfour-yearpeak.Amongthepopulardestinations,MiddleEasterncountrieshaveemergedasoneofthenewfavoritesforChinesetravelers.CAIRO,Feb.20(Xinhua)--MohamedHassanhasbeenbustlingarounddifferenttouristattractionsinEgyptthesedays.AcontinuousinfluxofChinesetourgroupshaskeptthisEgyptiantourguideonhistoes,andhehaslostcountofhowmanytimeshe'svisitedthepyramidsthismonth."IneverformallystudiedChinese;IacquireditfrominteractingwithChinesetourists,"saidHassan,whospeaksfluentMandarinwithabitofBeijingaccent."Thesedays,myChineseisprogressingevenmore."ChinesetouristsposeforaphotoatCairoInternationalAirportinCairo,Egypt,Feb.10,2024.(Xinhua/AhmedGomaa)DuringtheSpringFestivalholiday,similarsentimentswereechoedbytourguidesacrossvariousMiddleEasterncountries.Whetherit'satthepyramidsinEgypt,intheancientcityofJerashinJordan,orinthestreetsofIran,Chinesetouristsposingforphotoswereacommonsight.Theallureofexotictouristattractions,hospitabletravelenvironments,andthedeepeningtieswithChinaarecastingMiddleEasterncountriesasincreasinglyfavoreddestinationsforChinesetravelersventuringabroad.INFLUXOFCHINESETOURISTSIt'shalfpastmidnight.Alongqueuehadalreadyformed,snakingitswaytotheboardinggateforFlightHU0471(fromShenzhentoCairo)atBao'anInternationalAirportinthesouthernChinesecityofShenzhen.AflightattendantattheairporttoldXinhuathatwiththeonsetoftheSpringFestivalholiday,flightstoCairohavebeenoperatingatnearfullcapacity.AmongthosewaitinginlineisZhangFengxiafromsouthChina'sGuangdongProvince,whohadsignedupwithhersisterfora10-daytourtoEgypt."I'vebeenlongingtovisitEgyptforquitesometime,eagertolayeyesontheEgyptianpyramidsI'veknowninbookssincechildhoodandtogainadeeperunderstandingofEgyptiancultureandcivilization,"shesaid.ChinesetouristsvisittheGizaPyramidsscenicspotinGiza,Egypt,Feb.8,2024.(Xinhua/AhmedGomaa)TheheightenedtensionsinGazaandtheRedSeahaveprecipitatedasignificantdeclineintouristarrivalstoMiddleEasternnations.However,theinfluxofChinesetouristshasmadetheirlacklusteroff-peaktravelmarketsmorevibrant.Datafrommultipletravelplatformsindicatesthatduringthisyear'sSpringFestivalholiday,Chinesetourists'outboundtravelhasshownasignificantaccelerationinrecovery,withbookingvolumesreachinganearfour-yearpeak.Amongthepopulardestinations,MiddleEasterncountrieshaveemergedasoneofthenewfavoritesforChinesetravelers."Wehadsomesafetyconcernsbeforecoming,butoncewegothere,wefoundthattheplaceswevisitedweresafeandbeautiful,especiallywithlocaltourguideleadingtheway,"saidDengPeng,whowasspendingtheholidayinJordanwiththreeofherfriends.AccordingtoQunar,aleadingChineseonlinetravelplatform,searchvolumesforcountriesintheMiddleEastsuchasTürkiye,theUnitedArabEmirates(UAE)andEgypthavesurgedsincelastDecember.Throughouttheentireholidayseason,comparedtothesameperiodin2023,outboundtravelordersfromChinatotheUAE,EgyptandMoroccohavesurgedbymorethanthreefold.TravelbookingstothecityofDubaialonehaveseenagrowthofover10percent."Chinaisthelargesttourismmarket,"saidMoslemShojaei,directorgeneralformarketingandinternationaltourismdevelopmentattheIranianMinistryofCulturalHeritage,TourismandHandicrafts.AChinesetouristposesforphotoswhilevisitingthearchaeologicalsiteofJerashinJordan,Feb.10,2024.(PhotobyMohammadAbuGhosh/Xinhua)FromMarch21,2023,toJan.20,2024,thenumberofChinesetouristsvisitingIranexceeded54,000,andeachChinesetouristspentnearly1,000U.S.dollarsonaverageduringtheirtripstothecountry,ShojaeitoldXinhua,addingthatthecountryisnowbetterpreparedforChinesetouristsduringtheSpringFestivalholiday."Asidefromgeneratingeconomicrevenues,theessenceandnatureofthetourismindustryisthatofpromotingfriendshipandknowledge,"Shojaeisaid.MORETHANTOURISMBeneaththesurgeofChinesetouriststotheMiddleEastliesthediscerninghospitalityextendedbyMiddleEasternnationstoChinesevisitors,aswellastheincreasinglyclosepeople-to-peopleexchangesbetweenChinaandcountriesintheregion.InanefforttowooChinesetourists,countriessuchasEgypt,Jordan,theUAEandIranhaverolledoutvisa-on-arrivalorvisa-freeoptions,furtherstreamliningentryprocesses.NumerousMiddleEasterncountrieshavetakenproactivestepstoincreasethenumberofdirectflightstoChina.TourismofficialsfromTürkiye,IranandSaudiArabiahavevisitedChinatodirectlypromotetheirtourismtotheChinesepublic,andhavespecificallytailoredtravelroutesforChinesetourists.TwoChinesetouristssitonabenchatthehistoricalSultanahmetSquareinIstanbul,Türkiye,Feb.9,2024.(PhotobySafarRajabov/Xinhua)IncountriesliketheUAEandEgypt,localgovernmentsandtourismagencieshaveputonspecialfestivitiesandeventstocelebratetheChineseNewYearwithtourists."Duringmytravels,IreallysensedthelocalsbeingsuperfriendlytowardsChina,anditjustmadethewholeexperiencesodelightful,"Ms.Zhou,aChinesetraveler,toldXinhua.Shehadaneight-dayadventureplannedinEgypt,withdestinationsthatincludeCairo,Giza,Luxor,Alexandria,andtheRedSea."TherelationsbetweenChinaandEgyptaregood,andmanytourguidesherehavestudiedinChina.TheirproficiencyinChineseisimpressive,"Zhousaid."Allthesefactorsmadethewholetravelexperiencereallysmooth."EchoingZhou'sviewpoint,ShojaeialsobelievesthatthethrivingrelationshipbetweenChinaandMiddleEasterncountrieshasbeenthekeydriverbehindthesurgeofChinesetouristsflockingtotheregion.HerecalledthatduringIranianPresidentEbrahimRaisi'svisittoChinain2023,bothcountriesagreedontourismcooperation,whichgreatlybolsteredthegrowthofcross-bordertourismbetweenChinaandIran.ArecentreportonthedevelopmentofoutboundtourisminChinareleasedbytheChinaTourismAcademyindicatesthatastheChineseeconomyandtourismmarketexperienceasteadyrecovery,thereisanincreasingeagernessamongtheChinesetoembarkonoverseastravels.ThisphototakenonFeb.3,2024showsredlanternsatIstanbulAirportinIstanbul,Türkiye.(Xinhua/Shadati)Itforecaststhatin2024thenumberofChineseoutboundtouristswillexceed130million,markinga49percentsurgefromthe87millionrecordedin2023.IndustryinsidershaveobservedthatpropelledbytheincreasinglyrobusttiesbetweenChinaandMiddleEasternnations,theinfluxofChinesetouriststotheregionisexpectedtoincreaseevenmore."Iexpect...thenumberofChinesetouristsvisitingEgypttoincreasemoreandmore,"saidAshrafElewa,CEOofInterpointToursTravelinEgypt,notingthathiscompanyisreadytoreceiveanincreasednumberofChinesetouriststhroughoutthiswholeyear.IntheEgyptiancoastalcityofHurghada,ChenZhiming,fromeastChina'sShandongProvinceenjoyedapleasantthree-dayvacation."Thesceneryhereisstunning,andthelocalsarewarmandfriendly.I'mplanningtobringmyparentshereagainnextyear."UponknowingthatcertainWesternmediaexpresseddisappointmentatthe"missing"ofChinesetouristsintheircountries,Chengrinnedslyly."Wearenot'missing.'We'resimplychoosingtovisitplaceswherewefeelmorewelcomed."Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.