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

Schengen nations are opening dozens of visa centers in China's smaller cities this year, following last fall's policies requiring biometric data that make applying thornier for those outside the few main megalopolises. Xu Lin looks at how the need for Chinese fingerprints has expanded the EU's visa-center footprint in the country.

Yin Rui is happy he won't have to travel to Beijing from his home in Henan province's Xinyang city to get his Schengen visa to visit Spain this year.

That's because the Spanish embassy in Beijing recently announced it'll open 12 new visa-application centers in such second-tier cities as Jiangsu province's capital, Nanjing; Liaoning province's capital, Shenyang; and Hubei province's capital, Wuhan, which is a 45-minute, 91.5 yuan ($14) high-speed train ride from Yin's city.

Otherwise, he and his wife would have to take a four and a half hour train trip to Beijing that costs nearly five times as much. He'd likely need to spend the night in the capital.

"It's convenient for people who don't live in big cities," the self-employed 31-year-old says.

Spain is among the Schengen countries, including the Czech Republic and Greece, opening new visa centers around the country this year. Germany, for instance, will open 10. France will open nine.

This is partly in response to the policy announced last October requiring Chinese to submit biometric data to get Schengen visas. (The information is stored for 59 months.)

Previously, there were few European consulates or visa centers outside Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou.

"It will have a positive impact on Chinese tourists, as the centers will offer convenient access for most clients," says Catherine Oden, director of Atout France (the France Tourism Development Agency) in Greater China.

"Their travel time to cities with the centers will be (considerably) reduced. It may also encourage more tourists to travel to France."

Nearly 400,000 Chinese visited Spain last year, a roughly 40 percent increase over 2014, the Spanish Statistics Institute reports. Their spending increased 62 percent.

"Spain is appealing to Chinese tourists because it has rich cultural heritage and a unique culture," says the Spanish embassy's tourism counselor, Dario Polo Rodriguez.

The country hosts 44 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the world's third most.

It also offers fantastic weather, splendid scenery and natural landscapes, not to mention luxury shopping with high tax refunds, he says.

Spain's tourism authority in China has expanded cooperation with Chinese partners and staged promotions in second-tier cities.

Germany has been hosting annual road shows in second-tier cities since 2014, says the director of the German National Tourist Board's Beijing office, Li Zhaohui.

It has focused on cities with direct flights to Europe that have consulates or application centers, plus a growing middle class.

The country is opening new centers in such cities as Shandong province's capital, Jinan, and Zhejiang province's capital, Hangzhou.

Nearly 1.4 million Chinese visited Germany last year, roughly 35 percent more than in 2014. The most popular destinations were Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart.

China's second-tier cities' outbound-tourism markets are more price-sensitive. And residents often know less about destinations, Li says.

There are no tour products from such cities to Germany that don't include other countries, she says.

Li says young Chinese prefer independent and in-depth travel. They enjoy road trips, cycling and hiking.

The tourism board and German airline Lufthansa recently partnered to launch a Chinese-language app about road trips and shopping to help travelers determine routes and communicate with one another.

As for France, Chinese visitors enjoy high-end luxury, chic boutiques and retail shopping, Oden says.

A growing number of independent travelers also appreciate authentic cuisine, including Michelin restaurants, and visit vineyards and attend wine-tasting courses. Some even take cooking classes with French chefs.

Atout France organizes themed promotions to attract a dynamic mix of Chinese, including those from second-tier cities.

Last year's themes included gastronomy, shopping and culture. These will continue this year, with the addition of family travel, Oden says.

"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

Less-known destinations beckon

About 12.5 million Chinese visited Europe in 2015, the United Nations World Tourism Organization reports.

Six of the world's 10 leading destinations by international tourist arrivals are in Europe - France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Germany and the United Kingdom.

But the European Travel Commission China Operations Group's director, Frantisek Reismuller, says there is also a growing interest among Chinese visitors in less-visited European countries.

They enjoy southern Europe's sea views and leisure, northern Europe's nature and northern lights, and central Europe's cultural heritage.

It's convenient to tour several of these smaller countries on one trip. They're also preparing to welcome Chinese.

First Secretary of Latvia's embassy in China, Inese Liepina, says the country will open a Schengen-visa application center in Beijing in mid-April - its first in China. It's planning 14 centers nationwide within two years. The government also plans to start the first direct flight between China and Latvia, between Sichuan's provincial capital, Chengdu, and Latvia's national capital, Riga.

She says Chinese visitors love such colorful Latvian cultural celebrations as song-and-dance and opera festivals. They also visit during Christmas because Riga claims to have hosted the world's first decorated Christmas tree in 1510.

Chinese with Schengen, UK, Ireland or US visas can visit Montenegro, says the embassy in China's first counselor, Vatroslav Belan.

Chinese often like to travel to as many destinations as possible during trips, so they often also visit Montenegro's neighboring nations, including Serbia and Slovenia, he says.

Clockwise from top: St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican attracts tourists from all over the world. Chinese tourists visit a London shop. The UNESCO biosphere reserve Bliesgau in Germany is a habitat for rare animal species, such as little owls. Tourists at St. Peter's Square, a plaza located in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Photos By Xu Lin / China Daily And Provided To China Daily

(China Daily 03/30/2016 page19)