Flower of the desert

A panoramic view of the city Dubai, one of the most popular travel destinations for Chinese. Photo provided to China Daily

Beautiful beaches, first-rate shopping, luxury hotels and grand theme parks are working magic to attract Chinese tourists to Dubai.

The city in Middle East recently launched a weeklong event to showcase what it has to offer to Chinese tourists, along with opportunities in business, culture and lifestyle.

A total of 344,000 Chinese made it to Dubai in 2014, up 25 percent over the previous year, the Dubai's department of tourism and commerce marketing reports.

That puts Dubai at No 7 among the most popular travel destinations for the Chinese, and the country's tourism officials expect more than 400,000 Chinese tourists to visit the country this year.

"Dubai has taken diverse market strategy to reduce risks of over-dependence on a single market," says Helal Saeed Almarri, head of the tourism department.

The country received 13.2 million guests from abroad last year, up 8.2 percent. It witnessed double-digit growth in the number of tourists from emerging markets, including China, Nigeria and Brazil, according to the department.

"The average stay of tourists has extended to 7.8 days," Almarri says.

A relaxed visa policy is a key incentive for tourists. The United Arab Emirates has implemented the multi-entry visa policy to Chinese tourists since last August. The visa-application process was streamlined and costs were brought down.

Now, Chinese need to spend a little more than 1,000 yuan ($160) to have a travel agency to apply for a visa for them.

"You'll see a lot of young Chinese at Dubai's shopping centers, and they shop frequently for high-quality commodities," Dubai Business Event director Steen Jakobsen recently told the China Business News.

Convenient transportation and delicious food also help to boost the number of Chinese tourists, Jakobsen says.

In addition, a total of 425,000 tourists are expected to take cruises to Dubai in 2015, up 30 percent, the tourism department claims.