}

UnderChina'sunilateralvisa-freepolicy,travelersfromcountriesincludingFrance,GermanyandItalycanstayforupto30days.Over30Europeancountrieshavevisa-freeaccesstoChina.

Thankstothepolicy,Chinasaw17.8millionvisa-freeentriesbyforeignnationals--Europeansandothers--inthefirsthalfof2026,up30.6percentyearonyear,accordingtotheNationalImmigrationAdministration.

WARSAW,Aug.11(Xinhua)--Duringanearlythree-weekjourneythroughBeijing,ShanghaiandsouthwestChina'sYunnanProvince,GermantravelbloggerSorinLiviuJurjfoundthatapassportandasmartphonewereallheneededtoenjoymuchofwhatChinahadtooffer.

"YourphoneisnotjustyourphoneinChina.Itisyourwallet,map,translator,taxitool,ticketofficeandcommunicationdevice,"hewroteinatravelguidepublishedinMay."Chinawasoneofthesmoothest,mostmodern,andmostsurprisingcountriesIhavevisited."

JurjispartofagrowingflowofEuropeantravelersheadingtoChinathissummer,withdatafromChinesetravelplatformTrip.comshowingthatbookingsforscenicattractionsbyEuropeantravelershaveincreasedmorethan20-foldyearonyear.

ThegrowthinChina-Europetravelisn'tunidirectional.ChinesetouristsarealsoincreasinglytravelingtoEurope,drawnbyitshistoriccities,culturalexperiencesandhigh-profilesportingandculturalevents.

AChinesetouristposesforaphotoattheColosseuminRome,Italy,Oct.6,2025.(Xinhua/LiJing)

VISA-FREE

FortravelerslikeJurj,asimplerentryprocessispartofwhathasmadeChinamoreaccessible.UnderChina'sunilateralvisa-freepolicy,travelersfromcountriesincludingFrance,GermanyandItalycanstayforupto30days.Over30Europeancountrieshavevisa-freeaccesstoChina.

Thankstothepolicy,Chinasaw17.8millionvisa-freeentriesbyforeignnationals--Europeansandothers--inthefirsthalfof2026,up30.6percentyearonyear,accordingtotheNationalImmigrationAdministration.

Airlineshavealsoseengrowingdemandfrominternationaltravelers.OnJuneyaoAir'sShanghai-Athensroute,foreignpassengersaccountedfor32percentoftrafficsofarthisyear.JiHao,generalmanageroftheairline'sGreekbranch,saidtheroutehadcarried21,694foreignpassengersasofAug.5,nearlymatchinglastyear'sfull-yeartotal.

Airconnectivityhasalsoexpandedonotherroutes,withAirChinaincreasingitsBeijing-WarsawservicefromfourweeklyflightstoadailyoperationstartingonApril12.

TouristsfromItalyvisittheBundareainShanghai,eastChina,July21,2025.(Xinhua/ChenHaoming)

EUROPEANTRAVELSURGE

Meanwhile,travelfromChinatoEuropeiswitnessingstellargrowth.

FollowingSpain'sWorldCupvictorythissummer,ChinesetravelplatformQunarsawasurgeininterestinSpanishdestinations,withsearchesforShenzhen-Barcelonaflightssoaring33-foldwithinanhour.

AreportfromtheEuropeanTravelCommissionearlierthisyearprojectedthatChinesearrivalstoEuropewouldrise28percentyearonyearin2026.

FiguresfromtheStatisticalOfficeoftheRepublicofSerbiashowedthatChinesevisitorsrecorded85,025overnightstaysinthecountryinthefirstthreemonthsof2026,makingChinaoneofSerbia'sleadinginboundtourismmarkets.

MarijaLabovic,CEOoftheNationalTourismOrganisationofSerbia,saidChinesetouristsareincreasinglymovingbeyondshoppingandlandmarksightseeingtowardmorepersonalizedencounterswithlocallife.

"Thereisaclearshifttowardtravelfocusedonexperiencingthedestinationanditsauthenticity,"shesaid.

TheshiftisalsovisibleelsewhereinEurope.ChinawasPoland'slargestAsiansourcemarketinMay,with12,551Chinesetouristsstayingataccommodationestablishmentswithatleast10bedsandspendingatotalof23,062nightsinthecountry,accordingtoofficialstatistics.

AChinesetouristposesforphotosinfrontoftheTreviFountaininRome,Italy,Oct.6,2025.(Xinhua/LiJing)

EXPANDINGBUSINESSTIES

Beyondtourismspending,theriseinChina-Europetravelisalsoreshapingcross-borderpaymentsandbusinesscooperation.

InFebruary,theEuropeanTravelCommission,Mastercard,andtheIndustrialandCommercialBankofChinalaunchedaco-brandedcreditcard,designedtomakepaymentsfortransport,accommodation,diningandculturalexperienceseasierforChinesetravelersvisitingEurope.

"ChinaremainsoneofEurope'smostimportantlong-haulsourcemarkets,"saidExecutiveDirectoroftheEuropeanTravelCommissionEduardoSantander,notingthatthecardwillstrengthen"theEurope-Chinabridge,supportingmoresustainabletravelandtangiblebenefitsforlocaleconomiesandcommunities."

Cooperationisdeepeninginthehotelindustryaswell.InJune,FrenchhospitalitygroupAccorandChina'sHWorldGroupannouncedanexpansionofcooperationbetweentheirdirectbookingandloyaltyplatformsacrossChina,EuropeandtheMiddleEast,givingmembersaccesstomoreproperties,exclusiveratesandotherbenefits.

SantandersaidChina-Europetourismisexpectedtodevelopfurther."Thepriorityistoensureeasieraccess,offeramorediverseandexperience-driventourismproduct,anddeliveraseamlessandwelcomingvisitorexperience."

(Videoreporters:ZhuHaochen,MengDingbo,HuoSiying,WeiXiaohangandSunMin;Videoeditors:HongLiangandZhuCong)

来源：Xinhua

编辑：刘颖思