Flower of the desert

A Chinese man in an Arabian robe smokes a hookah. Photo provided to China Daily

Dubai's cuisine combines elements from such countries as Morocco, Egypt and India.

Dubai's big hotels offer well-developed recreation facilities, and exotic urban scenery featuring modern architecture in deserts is worth exploring, says Guo Bingdi, product manager with the Beijing Utour International Travel Service Co.

"Dubai is next to the sea and that enables travelers to enjoy yacht, water plane and helicopter experiences," Guo says.

The travel agency has worked with Dubai tourism department and launched five themed travel packages, including some especially designed for lovebirds and shoppers.

Tourists can go on a shopping spree from January to February and June to July, when special shopping promotions are offered, Guo says.

In 2014, a total of 46 new hotels opened in Dubai, including Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf, Warwick Hotel Sheikh Zayed, Sheraton Grand Hotel and Four Seasons Resort Dubai. A few attractions were added, including The Beach at JBR, and viewing deck at the top of Burj Khalifa.

"Travel to Dubai will lean toward leisure in future, and more luxury hotels will provide diverse experiences to enrich the local tourism market," Guo says.

The goal of those diversified theme trips is to let Chinese tourists explore Dubai in various ways, says Li Mengran, a publicist with Utour. The travel agency has teamed up with the Jumeirah Group this year to offer Chinese tourists with the world's top hotel experiences.