China's Visa-Free Travel Policy Sparks Surge in European Interest

The recent implementation of a 15-day visa-free travel policy for visitors from six European countries to China has sparked a significant surge in interest in traveling to the Asian nation.

According to data from Chinese travel agency Trip.com, bookings for China from Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Switzerland nearly tripled compared to the previous year and increased by approximately 40 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Among these countries, Belgium, Hungary, and Switzerland experienced a remarkable increase of over 300 percent in reservations.

Citizens of these six countries can now travel to China without a visa for up to 15 days for purposes such as business, family visits, or transit. However, despite the surge in travel bookings, airfares remain high compared to 2019 due to the limited number of flights that have resumed.

Flight Master data reveals that there are still no direct flights from Ireland to China, while only the China-Belgium route has recovered to its 2019 level as of last month. Flights between China and Switzerland and China and Austria have rebounded to 63 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs implemented a unilateral 15-day visa-free policy for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia last November, which is applicable from December 1 of last year until November 30 of this year. However, with the exception of China-Italy and China-Spain flights, the rest of the routes have not yet reached the levels seen in 2019.

To facilitate inbound travel, China has introduced more than 10 measures since the second half of last year, including simplified visa application procedures, reduced fees, and improved payment methods.

The continued expansion of the visa-free policy and the implementation of payment facilitation measures can contribute to the rapid recovery of inbound tourism. Also, developed European countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria hold a high regard for travel to China. With the resumption of more flights, inbound travel to China is expected to experience substantial growth.