During a nearly three-week journey through Beijing, Shanghai and southwest China’s Yunnan Province, German travel blogger Sorin Liviu Jurj found that a passport and a smartphone were all he needed to enjoy much of what China had to offer.
“Your phone is not just your phone in China. It is your wallet, map, translator, taxi tool, ticket office and communication device,” he wrote in a travel guide published in May. “China was one of the smoothest, most modern, and most surprising countries I have visited.”
Jurj is part of a growing flow of European travelers heading to China this summer, with data from Chinese travel platform Trip.com showing that bookings for scenic attractions by European travelers have increased more than 20-fold year on year.
The growth in China-Europe travel isn’t unidirectional. Chinese tourists are also increasingly traveling to Europe, drawn by its historic cities, cultural experiences and high-profile sporting and cultural events.
VISA-FREE
For travelers like Jurj, a simpler entry process is part of what has made China more accessible. Under China’s unilateral visa-free policy, travelers from countries including France, Germany and Italy can stay for up to 30 days. Over 30 European countries have visa-free access to China.
Thanks to the policy, China saw 17.8 million visa-free entries by foreign nationals — Europeans and others — in the first half of 2026, up 30.6 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
Airlines have also seen growing demand from international travelers. On Juneyao Air’s Shanghai-Athens route, foreign passengers accounted for 32 percent of traffic so far this year. Ji Hao, general manager of the airline’s Greek branch, said the route had carried 21,694 foreign passengers as of Aug. 5, nearly matching last year’s full-year total.
Air connectivity has also expanded on other routes, with Air China increasing its Beijing-Warsaw service from four weekly flights to a daily operation starting on April 12.
EUROPEAN TRAVEL SURGE
Meanwhile, travel from China to Europe is witnessing stellar growth.
Following Spain’s World Cup victory this summer, Chinese travel platform Qunar saw a surge in interest in Spanish destinations, with searches for Shenzhen-Barcelona flights soaring 33-fold within an hour.
A report from the European Travel Commission earlier this year projected that Chinese arrivals to Europe would rise 28 percent year on year in 2026.
Figures from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia showed that Chinese visitors recorded 85,025 overnight stays in the country in the first three months of 2026, making China one of Serbia’s leading inbound tourism markets.
Marija Labovic, CEO of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia, said Chinese tourists are increasingly moving beyond shopping and landmark sightseeing toward more personalized encounters with local life.
“There is a clear shift toward travel focused on experiencing the destination and its authenticity,” she said.
The shift is also visible elsewhere in Europe. China was Poland’s largest Asian source market in May, with 12,551 Chinese tourists staying at accommodation establishments with at least 10 beds and spending a total of 23,062 nights in the country, according to official statistics.
EXPANDING BUSINESS TIES
Beyond tourism spending, the rise in China-Europe travel is also reshaping cross-border payments and business cooperation.
In February, the European Travel Commission, Mastercard, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China launched a co-branded credit card, designed to make payments for transport, accommodation, dining and cultural experiences easier for Chinese travelers visiting Europe.
“China remains one of Europe’s most important long-haul source markets,” said Executive Director of the European Travel Commission Eduardo Santander, noting that the card will strengthen “the Europe-China bridge, supporting more sustainable travel and tangible benefits for local economies and communities.”
Cooperation is deepening in the hotel industry as well. In June, French hospitality group Accor and China’s H World Group announced an expansion of cooperation between their direct booking and loyalty platforms across China, Europe and the Middle East, giving members access to more properties, exclusive rates and other benefits.
Santander said China-Europe tourism is expected to develop further. “The priority is to ensure easier access, offer a more diverse and experience-driven tourism product, and deliver a seamless and welcoming visitor experience.” (Xinhua/GSF)