The return of Chinese tourists is helping to stimulate the European tourism market and economy

Tourists from around the world, including some from China, look at the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France on Friday. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

Deepening tourism cooperation between China and Europe will help revitalize the continent's economy, as tourism is one of its main industries.

Travel agency figures show travel products to Europe have become top sellers since the start of 2023 after China eased restrictions on overseas travel following the pandemic.

Traditionally popular European destinations such as France, Spain and Greece remain the top choice for Chinese travelers, while “niche destinations” such as Serbia and Montenegro are also trending.

“Some European destinations, including Athens, Berlin, Milan and Zurich, have seen a recent increase in searches on our platform,” said online travel agency Qunar.

For example, from April 22nd to 28th, searches for travel products to Athens almost tripled compared to the previous week, while searches for Berlin-related products almost quadrupled.

Qi Chunguang, vice president of Tuniu, said destinations in Central and Eastern Europe have also attracted more Chinese travelers due to lower costs and friendlier visa requirements.

“A non-stop trip to Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary in the summer typically costs 25,000 yuan ($3,500) to 30,000 yuan per person, while a trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland in the summer costs nearly 40,000 yuan per person “, he said. “In addition, the addition of direct flights from China to destinations in Eastern Europe and more convenient visa application processes make Central and Eastern Europe more attractive.”

Tourism industry insiders said Europe was looking forward to more Chinese travelers, who would breathe life into the continent's economy and help boost tourism employment.

Hamburg-based data analytics firm Statista said that the total contribution of travel and tourism to Europe's GDP was around $2.1 trillion in 2019, the year before the pandemic broke out, while this figure fell to around $1 trillion in 2022. $9 trillion fell.

Travel and tourism make up a large share of some economies in Europe – for example, 24.8 percent of Croatia's GDP came from travel and tourism in 2019, according to Statista.

Sandra Carvao, head of tourism market research and competitiveness at the World Tourism Organization, said in a recent interview with People's Daily that China is one of the world's largest sources of tourists and therefore the recovery of the Chinese tourism market is crucial for the development of the European tourism industry.

Eduardo Santander, executive director of the European Travel Commission, told People's Daily that destinations in Europe have made great efforts to attract Chinese travelers, such as deepening cooperation with China's airlines and organizing tourism exhibitions in China.

He said China was the second largest source of travelers to Europe before the pandemic and he hoped to see a growing number of Chinese travelers coming to the continent this year.