Beijing- Bilateral tourism between China and Europe is experiencing a major surge, with an increasing number of travelers crossing paths in both directions.

Easing Border Restrictions Boosts European Visitors to China

China's unilateral visa-free program—which permits citizens from nations such as Italy, France, and Germany to stay for up to 30 days—has significantly lowered entry barriers.

More than 30 European nations currently benefit from this visa-free arrangement.

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, these relaxed rules helped drive 17.8 million visa-free entries by international visitors during the first half of 2026, marking a 30.6 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Travel platforms report that this momentum is translating into high engagement. Bookings for domestic tourist attractions by European visitors have skyrocketed over 20 times year-on-year on Trip.com.

Furthermore, airlines are scaling up operations to meet this demand. For instance, Juneyao Air reported that international travelers made up 32 percent of passengers on its Shanghai-Athens route this year, moving close to matching its entire 2025 foreign passenger volume by early August.

Air connectivity has also grown, highlighted by Air China expanding its Beijing-Warsaw flight frequency to daily service.

Chinese Tourism Flocks to Europe

The travel wave is equally robust in the reverse direction. High-profile sporting events and cultural attractions continue to draw massive interest from Chinese vacationers heading to Europe.

  • Surging Interest: Following Spain's triumph in the World Cup this summer, online searches on Qunar for Shenzhen-Barcelona flights multiplied 33 times within just one hour.

  • Official Projections: A report issued earlier in the year by the European Travel Commission (ETC) estimated that Chinese tourist arrivals in Europe would jump by 28 percent over the course of 2026.

  • Regional Hotspots: Serbia welcomed strong numbers, with Chinese tourists accounting for 85,025 overnight stays in the first quarter alone. Meanwhile, Poland registered China as its top Asian source market for May, yielding thousands of overnight stays across local accommodations.

Tourism authorities note that Chinese travelers are evolving past traditional sightseeing and shopping. Marija Labovic, CEO of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, highlighted a distinct trend toward authentic, personalized engagements with local culture.

Broadening Economic and Business Partnerships

The rising volume of travelers is also spurring new financial and corporate collaborations between the two regions.

To simplify transactions, the ETC, Mastercard, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China rolled out a specialized co-branded credit card in February to assist Chinese travelers with payments for lodging, transport, and dining.

Hospitality networks are following suit. French hotel giant Accor and China's H World Group expanded their partnership in June to link direct booking networks and loyalty programs spanning China, Europe, and the Middle East.

Industry leaders emphasize that maintaining this momentum relies on streamlined access, diversified travel options, and a frictionless visitor experience.