Publishers target rise in Chinese visitors

Publishers are responding to the boom in Chinese tourists visiting the UAE by launching magazines geared towards the lucrative audience.

Three Chinese magazines have launched since June, as local publishers look to attract advertising from luxury brands and retailers. China recently relaxed travel laws for its citizens, with tour groups to the UAE permitted for the first time from September last year.

The move is expected to result in the number of Chinese visitors as much as doubling this year. A total of about 100 million Chinese are expected to travel to overseas destinations by 2020, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation.

In June, MediaMost Publishing, based in Dubai, launched Aviamost Chinese, a magazine geared towards shopping, business and lifestyle.

"With the coming of Chinese tourists, they are known as the 'new Russians' in the retail industry," said Fady Boustany, the executive director at MediaMost.

"They are the buyers of high-end jewellery, watches and fashion," he said.

Aviamost was launched as a Russian-language magazine in 1995, geared towards promoting business and tourism between the former Soviet countries and the Middle East.

The launch of a Chinese edition reflects the growing influence of this audience, said Mr Boustany.

Aviamost Chinese will be published five times a year and distributed in hotels and on Emirates Airline flights to China, said Mr Boustany.

Another magazine to launch recently is Concierge Chinese, published by Nicholas Publishing International (NPI), based in Dubai.

The third Chinese title to launch is Jade, published by the Al Sada Publications, also based in Dubai.

Launched on December 1, the monthly magazine covers a mix of topics including fashion and lifestyle.