Chinese tourists embrace New Year in Dubai (2)

Jocelyn and Soie from Hong Kong said they chose Dubai because of its vast shopping opportunities, the good weather and its security.

"Prices for luxury goods are much lower than back home," said Jocelyn, who travelled with her friend in Dubai. Both young girls were excited with a safari trip to Dubai's desert. "We enjoyed camel riding, BBQ and belly dancing. Dubai gave us a real oriental touch."

Nevertheless, Laura, a Chinese sales person working in the boutique of French luxury goods producer Louis Vuitton, said that the number of Chinese tourists decreased compared to last year. " The rush when the year of the dragon started in 2012 was much bigger," she said.

This does not prevent Emirates Airline chief executive Tim Clark from looking to increase Dubai's state-owned carrier's footprint in China. "Emirates currently operate 38 times per week to China. It is a very important and fast growing market for us," he told Xinhua, adding that "We are keen on increasing our flight frequency and on spotting new destinations in the middle kingdom."

In 2012, Dubai became the world's third busiest airport as it hosted 56.6 million passengers, a 13 percent increase year on year. One reason was the increase in travelers from East Asia, said Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airport.