Chinese tourists set to rise as EU prepares to ease visa restrictions

The number of Chinese tourists travelling abroad this year is tipped to rise by 15 per cent from last year, with most European Union countries ready to grant tourist visas, a top official has predicted.

Sun Gang, vice-chairman of the National Tourism Administration, said 16.6 million Chinese travelled abroad for holidays last year, up 36.8 per cent from 2001, as more countries opened their borders.

So far, 29 countries have signed agreements allowing group tourist visas for mainlanders. The latest to do so was Germany, on December 24, with the first Chinese visitors scheduled to arrive on February 15.

Mr Sun said China was negotiating with EU members which are part of the Schengen Agreement allowing easy cross-border travel. Britain and Ireland, which are not signatories to the agreement, are expected to sign deals with China similar to that struck with Germany.

Mainlanders could previously only visit EU countries on a business or study visa. The granting of group tourist visas is expected to simplify the procedure, according to Mr Sun.

'Initially, countries like Australia and New Zealand were nervous of over-stayers, but there are only very few of them,' Mr Sun said. 'The economy is getting better in China. Why spend tens of thousands of US dollars to be smuggled abroad? What a good life you can have if you spent that money in China.'

Mr Sun also said the number of mainlanders visiting Hong Kong was expected to grow by at least 20 per cent a year over the next five years.