* More and more Chinese tourists opt for private trips instead of package tours, exploring Europe in diversified ways.

* China's appeal as a major global travel hub to international tourists has also increased remarkably thanks to new policies.

* Many European travel agencies are now re-calibre their activities from "inviting Chinese tourists to Europe" to "going into China."

by Xinhua writers Chen Gang, Zhang Xin

ATHENS/BRUSSELS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- This summer, European countries have recorded an inrush of Chinese tourists, thanks in part to the continuous opening up of China and multiple new direct flights launched lately linking European and Chinese cities.

At the same time, more relaxed visa policies introduced by the Chinese government since the end of last year have prompted more Europeans to travel to China.

This trending two-way tourism will lift Europe's tourism sector to pre-pandemic levels, thereby advancing China-Europe cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

EUROPE IN CHINESE EYES

More and more Chinese tourists opt for private trips instead of package tours, exploring Europe in diversified ways.

For the first half of the year, the Spanish Statistical Office recorded 337,446 Chinese tourists, compared with 382,207 for last year's total.

A recent study by the Spanish Tourism Institute identified big growth potential in tourism from faraway locations like China. This trend is facilitated by the operation of direct flights between the two countries.

The study found that Chinese tourists have a strong interest in Spain and tend to have a thorough knowledge of Spanish destinations and tourism services.

While countries like France and Italy remain popular destinations, Chinese tourists have also started to frequent Central-Eastern European countries, including Croatia and Slovenia.

Thanks to the visa-free agreement between China and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mrs. Liang from Guangzhou was able to visit the Western Balkan country with her family in July.

With a travel package booked online, they flew directly to Belgrade and then drove around Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Although we have visited many EU countries, this was our first trip to Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, which was full of surprises," Liang said.

Slovenia, with its pristine natural scenery and rich cultural heritage, has also seen a noticeable increase of tourists from the Chinese mainland this summer, local travel agents told Xinhua.

Xian Jianhong, who runs a Chinese restaurant in Slovenia, said that Slovenia was once a transit point for Chinese tourists but it is now becoming a host country itself. Leisure travel and nature adventure travel, and immersive single-country tours are increasingly chosen by Chinese tourists.

Xu Yan, a travel blogger from Xingtai, Hebei province of China, has been touring across Europe since March 2023, having visited 16 countries so far. On the eve of the Paris Olympics, Xu made an "impulsive decision" to drive 1,200 km from Prague to Paris to cheer for the Chinese athletes in person.

"Traveling through different European countries (means) experiencing different cultures, and collecting many interesting stories and beautiful memories," she wrote on her blog.

CHINA IN EUROPEAN EYES

China's appeal as a major global travel hub to international tourists has also increased remarkably thanks to new policies such as a visa-free entry for 15 days for travelers from 15 countries and the expansion of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy.

Many foreign bloggers have shared their traveling stories and feelings about China on different social media platforms, making "China travel" an attractive concept. International travel agencies report that the demand for trips to China this summer has quadrupled compared to last year.

Kostas Mathiopoulos, a coach at a Chinese martial arts school in Athens, Greece, first visited China to study martial arts in 1996. Twenty-eight years later, he returned to China with a group of Greek teenagers, including his daughter, who are enthusiastic about Chinese martial arts.

Mathiopoulos said they were warmly received at the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Athens in late June, where the Chinese officer in charge quickly processed their visas and gave them practical information about using mobile payments in China.

Nagia Mathiopoulos, the coach's 21-year-old daughter, told Xinhua before the team's departure that she had dreamed of this trip since childhood. When recalling her trip in July, she said, "(The Chinese) were all very patient and showed us (what we wanted to see) step by step. Everything was amazing."

During their 12-day stay in China, they climbed the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City, tasted roasted Peking duck, practiced calligraphy, and did some Chinese martial arts training.

She said their experiences in China made them feel at home.

"It was a great journey both visually and emotionally," said Kostas Mpartzoukas, another coach in their team.

Gabriella Esselbrugge, a renowned Dutch tourism promoter for Giethoorn, a top destination in the Netherlands favored by Chinese tourists, applauded China's visa-free policy. As a frequent visitor to China, this policy has offered her much convenience.

She has lately toured the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui, where she was captivated by the local cuisine, stunning landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.

"This December, I'm taking my entire family to China," Gabriella told Xinhua. "They can't wait to see it all for themselves."

Maja, a taxi driver from Slovenia, made her dream of visiting China finally come true this summer. Returning from her trip, she told Xinhua that she was deeply impressed by the level of efficiency she saw in China, and the hospitality of the Chinese people.

She was especially impressed by the fact that she could handle all her payments with a single mobile phone.

Like Kostas Mathiopoulos and his team, Maja also visited several tourist sites in Beijing and savored some local delicacies. She intends to visit China again next year, with the Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan on her destination list.

Maja is among many foreign travelers impressed by the widespread use of digital technologies in China. Mirza Nikolajev, an Olympian luger from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and became an "influencer" after his playful and charming wink was captured on television, returned to China recently and shared his fresh experiences.

"You want to grab a soda? Beep. You want to take the metro, or you want to pay the taxi bill? Beep," said Nikolajev in awe of China's technological advancements during his visit in July. "Everything is transparent, which will help curb scams and corruption."

"From mobile payments to AI robots in hotels, life in China feels like a sci-fi movie," he added.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS

Capitalizing on China's new visa policy, many European travel agencies are now re-calibre their activities from "inviting Chinese tourists to Europe" to "going into China." Many novel tourism products have therefore enhanced the world's understanding of China.

For the Poland-China Travel Agency, which was established some 25 years ago and the first Polish agency to promote trips to China, the country's unilateral visa waiver to Poland was welcome news.

The agency's Project Manager Eva Gajewska said that as soon as the visa waiver was announced, they received numerous customer inquiries about travel itineraries to China. Many clients called to say that "it's time to travel to China!"

"We began to adjust our itineraries, shortening some that were originally 21 days to 15 days, and offering more travel options to clients without a visa," she added.

In Malta, Wu Xiaolong, a marketing manager for the Malta Tourism Authority, told Xinhua that the 144-hour visa-free transit policy provides a good opportunity for China-bound tourists from across the world.

Malta has been increasingly popular among Chinese travelers. "We hope that more Chinese tourists will come to Malta, understand the unique features of Malta, and like Malta," Wu added.

When direct flights between Beijing and Prague were restarted in late June, the Czech Tourism Authority (CzechTourism) described the move as a "significant step" to boost inbound tourism from China.

Jiri Pos, chief executive officer of the Prague Airport, viewed the renewal of long-distance lines a "long-term priority" and Asia a very important source market for the Czech tourism industry.

The connection to Beijing will be a great opportunity for Czech tourists to know China and Asia, he added.

Katariina Wakonen, a data analyst at Visit Finland, a public tourism promotion body, expressed hope that Finland could benefit from the growth of Chinese tourism in Europe. She projected that by 2026, the number of Chinese tourists to Finland would return to the pre-2019 levels.  Enditem

(Cuili, Zhang Zhang and Xia Yuanyi in Warsaw, Chen Wenxian in Valletta, Liu Yuxuan in Brussel, Zhou Yue in Ljubljana, Chen Jin in Helsinki, Deng Yaomin in Prague, Chen Yuefen in Riga, Wang Xiangjiang in The Hague, Wang Lili in Bratislava and Xue Dongmei in Vilnius also contributed to the story.)

(Video reporters: Li Shuai, Li Xuejun, Relja, Dusek, Deng Yaomin, Martin Mach, Chen Shengwei, Hong Zehua, Wang Houyuan, Wang Xiunan, Liu Runzhi, Song Rui, Yu Xaosu; Video editors: Zhang Li, Luo Hui, Han Mocheng)■