The 2025 Arabian Travel Market opened on Monday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the China Pavilion showcasing the country's strong inbound tourism potential.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism leads the country's participation at the Arabian Travel Market, the largest professional tourism exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa.
The China Pavilion brings together cultural and tourism departments from 13 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and 26 tourism-related enterprises, presenting a comprehensive view of China's travel landscape under the theme "Nihao (hello)! China".
Focusing on business matchmaking between Chinese and international travel operators, the Chinese exhibitors are keen to attract more international visitors by demonstrating their latest upgraded tourism services, cultural experiences, and streamlined visa procedures. The emphasis is placed on three core concepts, "Tourism + Culture," "Tourism + Aviation," and "Tourism + Technology."
Currently, China grants unilateral visa-free access to citizens of 38 countries and has extended its visa-free transit policy for 54 countries to up to 240 hours. As China's "visa-free circle of friends" continues to expand, inbound tourism is experiencing steady growth.
"In the past few years, China has optimized a series of visa policies, making it more convenient for foreigners to travel to and do business in the country. I have personally visited China multiple times for business negotiations and have deeply felt the positive changes," said Jasem, a tourism company representative.
"I think by allowing more and more tourists to come and visit China more freely, it's certainly going to improve the amount of tourists that you end up getting. Myself, I started going to China a few years ago, and I'm trying to get there once or twice a year. Once you get over a slight language barrier and you get to see all the amazing ancient artifacts that are there, the touristic sites, it's definitely a place that people will come to time and time again," said another tourism company representative James.
China pavilion promotes inbound tourism, visa facilitation at Arabian Travel Market
Some Iranians in Türkiye are crossing back over the border, driven by worry and desperation, as a nationwide communications blackout in Iran has left them cut off from their loved ones.
Protests have erupted in many Iranian cities since Dec. 28. They initially began with Tehran bazaar merchants demonstrating against the sharp devaluation of the national currency rial, and soaring inflation, before spreading to other cities. The unrest has led to casualties among both security forces and civilians.
At the Turkish-Iranian border, many are returning with no certainty about what awaits them, filled instead with questions and growing fear for those on the other side of the border.
"I went to Van yesterday for internet. I urgently needed to use the internet. I got it done. Now I'm heading straight back. There are protests everywhere. We can't get any news. We can't communicate with our families. And it's not just me, there are many Iranians outside the country who can't reach their families," said Feriste, an Iranian citizen.
With communications blacked out across Iran, those outside the country feel powerless to check on the situation back home. For some, this silence has prompted them to return across the border, even as tensions continue to rise.
"We can't get any news. There is no internet. Everything is shut down. I want to search. I want to find out. I want to see my brother. I'm going to see my family," said Husnu, an Iranian citizen.
"I work in Türkiye, and I have no news from Iran at all. I'm going back because I'm worried about my family. It's been days since I last heard from them, and because I'm worried, I'm returning to Iran now. Of course, we are concerned about our safety. We don't know what awaits us there," said another Iranian.
With protests escalating and government blackouts still in place, many Iranians are caught between staying in safety abroad and risking everything to reconnect with their families.
"We had to come to Türkiye because we couldn't reach our families. Schools were closed already. All official institutions were shut down. We have no information about other cities either, because there is no communication network there. There is no television, no internet. We can't even check Twitter," said Nazlican, another Iranian citizen.
Iranians in Türkiye return home, fearing for their families amid unrest in Iran
