Dubai posts sharp rise in Chinese tourists after visa-on-arrival policy

Most hotels and shopping malls in Dubai are ready to juice up their activities during the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.

At the Dubai Airshow held in November last year, Tim Clark, the president of Dubai's government-controlled Emirates Airline, said the carrier is keen on expanding its destinations in the Chinese mainland in 2018 from the current five: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yinchuan and Zhengzhou.

The sheikdom of Dubai, known for the world's tallest mixed-use tower Burj Khalifa (829 meters) and its seven-star hotel Burj Al Arab, boasts 681 hotels and guest apartments by the end of 2017.

By the end of 2017, 107,431 hotel rooms and apartments were available across all overnight hospitality facilities in Dubai, up 4 percent year-on-year.