Tourism exchanges between China and European Union (EU) countries have continued to rise in recent years.

EU nations have consistently ranked among the top destinations for Chinese outbound tourists, while China has emerged as an increasingly popular choice for travelers from EU countries.

Summer represents the peak season for outbound travel, and data from multiple travel agencies and online tourism platforms indicate that EU countries dominate long-haul destination bookings from Chinese tourists. Traditional destinations including Italy, France, and Germany have recorded substantial reservation increases, while emerging destinations such as Hungary are experiencing rapid growth.

Tourists from European Union countries pose for a group photo in front of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo courtesy of China Tourism Group Travel Services Co., Ltd.)

As the global tourism market has accelerated its recovery over the past two years, the number of Chinese tourists visiting EU countries has maintained steady growth.

Italy, Spain, France, and Germany currently attract the highest numbers of Chinese visitors among EU nations, said Wang Xiaoxue, associate director of the destination research institute of Chinese online travel platform Mafengwo. Additionally, relatively niche EU destinations including Slovenia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Romania have shown significant increases in tourism popularity.

"Since 2024, bookings to EU countries by Chinese tourists have doubled year on year. During the first half of this year, tourists choosing Western European routes like France accounted for nearly 30 percent of bookings," said Han Jie, chairman of Chinese online travel agency CYTS Aoyou.

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists' interest in some EU countries in Northern, Southern, and Central and Eastern Europe has also grown rapidly, Han added.

Zhao Hongyu, deputy general manager of the marketing department at China Tourism Group Travel Services Co., Ltd. (CTG Travel), emphasized that EU countries have consistently served as major source markets for China's inbound tourism sector. China's current visa-free policies for most EU countries have significantly promoted the development of inbound tourism.

According to data from leading Chinese online travel agency Trip.com Group, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain generated the highest numbers of visitors to China during the first half of this year. Inbound tourism orders from Italy and Spain surged by 168 percent and 102 percent respectively compared to the same period last year.

Chinese tourists pose for a group photo in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo courtesy of CYTS Aoyou)

For Chinese tourists, high-quality in-depth travel focusing on one, two, or three EU countries, or exploration tours to niche destinations have gradually become mainstream in recent years, according to Huang Minghu, an executive from Chinese online travel agency Tuniu.

Destinations have expanded from primarily Western European countries to multiple EU nations, while organizational formats have diversified significantly, evolving from large group tours to include small groups, private groups, independent travel, and destination-based group tours, Huang said.

Zhao noted current trends in inbound tourists from EU countries, observing that visitors demonstrate increasingly individualized, personalized, and in-depth travel preferences.

"EU tourists show strong interest in Chinese culture, with independent travel ratios gradually rising to exceed 80 percent. Their destinations have become increasingly diverse, no longer limited to classic scenic areas and routes. EU visitors possess relatively strong purchasing power, and China's inbound tourism products and merchandise offer excellent value for money," Zhao said, adding that CTG Travel will leverage the convenient "refund-upon-purchase" tax service to promote high-quality development of inbound consumption.

Yang Jinsong, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy, believes that China-EU tourism exchanges have significantly promoted the development of other sectors. Substantial numbers of Chinese tourists have created considerable economic benefits for popular destinations including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Hungary, while generating additional employment opportunities.

Large-scale bilateral tourist flows between China and Europe have driven the coordinated development of related industries including transportation, accommodation, dining, shopping, finance, and insurance. In addition, cultural understanding based on personal experiences during tourism exchanges helps eliminate prejudice and misunderstandings while enhancing mutual goodwill and friendship among peoples.

Zhang Jinshan, a researcher at the Tourism College of Beijing Union University, pointed out that tourism year celebrations between China and EU countries have become important diplomatic initiatives. China has co-hosted "tourism year" and "culture and tourism year" events with multiple countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Greece, becoming an integral part of promoting bilateral cultural exchanges while advancing Chinese culture on the global stage.