Vis-a-vis visas, Europe plays catch-up

Tourists at St. Peter's Square, a plaza located in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.[Photo by Xu Lin/ China Daily]

"I am particularly fond of this theme, as I believe France is a destination best-suited to welcome families," she says.

"An abundance of theme parks, amusement parks, adventure parks and family-friendly activities will ensure they have an enjoyable holiday."

She also recommends picnics and street-corner merry-go-rounds.

Atout France offers online training for French enterprises to better understand Chinese guests' preferences. Department stores like Galeries Lafayette offer separate welcome areas for Chinese.

"Chinese tourists are mainly interested in three things in Europe - culture and history, food and shopping," says the European Travel Commission China Operations Group's director, Frantisek Reismuller. The 32-member ETC is responsible for promoting Europe as a destination.

The March 22 Brussels attacks' impact on Europe's inbound tourism remains to be seen.

The attacks killed 35, including a Chinese national, Xinhua reports.

"The problem is bigger than tourism," Reismuller says.

"What we can do is to provide information as quickly as possible to show Europe is still a safe destination. It's (the attack) unfortunate but that doesn't mean traveling itself is dangerous."

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn