European countries compete for Chinese travelers

Photo Povided to China Daily

Germany now has five visa application centers in China - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenyang - and has already made requests to open six more in major Chinese cities in order to facilitate application procedures for Schengen applicants.

According to the German National Tourist Board, the top four European destinations for Chinese who travel overseas are Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. The top four favorite German cities among Chinese visitors are Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and Cologne.

Li Zhaohui, director of the German tourist board's Beijing office, says Chinese tourists like pretty cities, leisure, scenic spots, delicious cuisine and various museums in Germany.

She is confident that Chinese travellers will be attracted to the agency's 2015 tourism promotions, ranging from traditions and customs, arts, and lifestyle, to the various regional cuisines.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. The French embassy has shortened its processing time for the short-stay individual visa applications of Chinese citizens to 48 hours and simplified the application documents.