2024-08-05 05:06:00
Xinhua News Agency, Athens, August 4th, Summary｜Visitors from China and Europe exchange visits enthusiastically
Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Gang
In recent times, with the opening of more and more direct flights between Europe and China and the convenience brought by the visa-free policy, more and more Europeans are enjoying “travel to China”. At the same time, a large number of Chinese tourists took advantage of the summer vacation to travel to Europe. Visitors from China and Europe enjoy a lively exchange of visits.
Since last year, China has implemented a unilateral visa-free policy on a trial basis for European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Relevant measures make it more convenient for tourists from European countries to “check in to China”.
Poland China Travel Agency is the first travel agency in Poland to promote Chinese tourism. Project manager Ewa Gajewska said that summer is the peak season for Polish tourists to travel to China. After China’s unilateral visa exemption for Poland was announced, “many customers called and said it was time to travel to China.”
Mirza Nikolaev, a Bosnian bobsled athlete who participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, traveled to China again this summer. He told reporters that in addition to being exposed to mobile payments and driverless cars during this trip, he also experienced flying cars. “From mobile payments to smart robots in restaurants, life in China is like a science fiction movie.”
Slovenian taxi driver Maja has been obsessed with Chinese history and culture for many years, and this year she finally realized her wish to experience China on the ground. She told reporters that when asking for directions on the streets of Beijing, many people enthusiastically helped her in English. She was deeply impressed by the hospitality and efficiency of Chinese people and the various convenient services available in Chinese cities.
Maciopoulos is a coach at a Chinese martial arts school in Athens, Greece. He first went to China to study martial arts in 1996. 28 years later, he went to China with a group of children who were also fascinated by Chinese martial arts. They climbed the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City, tasted roast duck… and even went to Mount Emei to participate in martial arts training. “Everything was great, we were very excited.”
As of July this year, China’s 144-hour transit visa-free policy has been applied to 37 ports, in order to better serve the country’s high-level opening up, facilitate the exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel, and promote foreign exchanges and cooperation.
Wu Xiaolong, China Marketing Manager of the Malta Tourism Bureau, told reporters that China’s 144-hour transit visa-free policy has brought convenience to tourists from other countries traveling to China. Many countries have shifted from unilaterally “inviting Chinese tourists” to promoting tourism to China and “entering Chinese homes”. Various novel tourism products have refreshed tourists.
Vladislav Koryakin, a member of the board of directors of Latvia’s “Baltic Tourism Group”, said that China’s 144-hour transit visa-free policy is very convenient for business groups and will help increase the flow of tourists to China in Latvia.
While European tourists are enjoying their travels in China, Chinese tourists are also taking advantage of the summer vacation to embark on their European journeys. Serbia and Bosnia have mutual visa exemption agreements with China. This summer, Ms. Liang, a tourist from Guangzhou, and her family experienced this convenience. She told reporters that they did not need a visa to depart from the country. They bought air tickets and flew directly to Belgrade, Serbia, and then drove into Bosnia and Herzegovina. “This is our first trip to Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans. It is full of surprises.”
Relevant personnel in the European tourism industry have discovered that Chinese tourists’ travel concepts and methods are quietly changing. Gaby, the image ambassador of the Netherlands Tourism Board, said that Chinese tourists mostly visited in the form of tour groups in the past, but now more and more young tourists choose to travel independently.
Since the beginning of this year, a number of direct flights have been opened and restored between China and Europe, facilitating personnel exchanges between the two sides and benefiting the development of tourism. Vakkonen, an expert from the Finnish National Tourism Administration, hopes that Finland will have the opportunity to share the dividends of China’s opening up; after the resumption of direct flights between China and the Czech Republic, Prague Airport CEO Jiri Pos said that the Czech Republic is very much looking forward to Chinese tourists; in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, Amber merchant Ramuni told reporters that Chinese customers like his amber handicrafts very much and hopes that more Chinese tourists will come to Lithuania.
[Editor in charge: Xu Dan]
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