EU, China agree to facilitate Chinese group tours

Asian Economic News, Feb 17, 2004

BRUSSELS, Feb. 12 Kyodo

The European Union (EU) and China signed a landmark agreement in Beijing on Thursday to facilitate Chinese group tourism to Europe.

Under the agreement, Chinese who go through selected travel agencies will benefit from simplified procedures to apply for tourist visas from EU member states and Chinese tourist groups will be allowed to freely travel within these countries.

Chinese tourist groups are currently not allowed to travel to EU member states.

According to the World Tourist Organization, China could become the No. 1 tourist destination in the world and a major source of outbound tourism, with an estimated 100 million outbound travelers by 2020.

''I look forward to seeing more Chinese tourists here, and I hope many will take up the new opportunity to travel,'' EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten said. ''Human contacts really do make a difference, and I believe this new agreement will help Europe and China to understand each other better, as well as bringing new commercial opportunities.''

The agreement, initiated during the Oct. 30 EU-China summit in Beijing, is the largest tourism accord ever concluded by China.

Ireland, Denmark and the United Kingdom are not participating in the agreement. They are currently negotiating similar bilateral accords with the China National Tourism Administration.