Your current location:HOME >sport >Spanish travel industry happy to see China's return as major tourist destination 正文
TIME:2024-05-22 01:26:20 Source: Internet compilationEdit:sport
Spanish travel agencies also applaud China's visa-free policy, which is seen as an incentive to revi
Spanish travel agencies also applaud China's visa-free policy, which is seen as an incentive to revive the tourism sectors in China and Europe.
BARCELONA, Spain, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Professionals in Spain's travel industry are delighted about China's ongoing return to be a major tourist destination for Spanish tourists.
At the B-Travel tourism fair, which opened on Friday and closed on Sunday in Spain's Barcelona, exhibitors showcased diverse tourism products and packages to promote traveling in China.
"Our tour operators and travel agents are developing products and packages ... China has always been an important destination for Spanish tourists," Marti Sarrate, president of B-Travel and Spain's Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies, told Xinhua at the fair.
After the pandemic, "we're very happy that it (China) has reactivated because it represents a significant level of quality tourism and more Spaniards are now visiting China," he added.
Spanish travel agencies also applaud China's visa-free policy, which is seen as an incentive to revive the tourism sectors in China and Europe. China applied a visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from five European countries in December, including Spain. Later in January and starting from March 14, China added eight more European countries in total to its visa-free policy list on a trial basis.
Aspasia Travel, which organizes a 15-day guided tour in China that includes visits to Chinese cities like Beijing, Xi'an, Kunming and Shanghai, said China's decision to exempt Spaniards with ordinary passports from requiring a visa helps them to sell their package holiday to the country.
"Right now we are making an effort to put China back on people's radar and we have to incentivize them to go there, and something that helps with incentive is the situation with visa-free travel," Aspasia Travel Director Adonis Rahmouni told Xinhua.
According to Spain's tourism agency Turespana, over 60 percent of direct flights linking China and Spain before the pandemic have been restored. From March 31, Air China will have daily flights between Barcelona and Beijing while Cathay Pacific plans to restore direct flights to Hong Kong from Barcelona in June.
According to data from the Spanish Statistical Office, over 380,000 people visited Spain from China last year. However, the figure is well below the level before the pandemic, when more than 700,000 Chinese tourists visited Spain in 2019.
"Chinese tourism is important for our region and is now in the process of returning to Spain, including Andalusia, Malaga and Costa del Sol," said Jorge Martin, the president of the Axarquia-Costa del Sol town coalition, which is located in the southern region of Andalusia, one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations.
(Editor:Wang Su)
Grant Shapps vows he WILL find more planes for mass parachute drop to mark 80th anniversary of D2024-05-22 01:13
A handful of disgruntled Marlins fans protest the team following the Luis Arraez trade2024-05-22 01:08
Legal Marijuana Now Party loses major status with Minnesota Supreme Court ruling2024-05-22 01:07
WABC Radio suspends Rudy Giuliani for flouting ban on discussing discredited 2020 election claims2024-05-22 01:00
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang2024-05-22 00:44
Olympics: Flavor Flav official hype man for US women's water polo team2024-05-21 23:34
Revealed: The key sign that indicates a woman might be a PSYCHOPATH2024-05-21 23:28
Emotional Mbappé confirms he will leave PSG ahead of an expected move to Real Madrid2024-05-21 23:12
National Television Awards 2024 nominations: Michelle Keegan and Leo Woodall go head2024-05-21 22:46
The Flores agreement has protected migrant children for nearly 3 decades. Changes may be coming.2024-05-21 22:41
Wildfires sweep across Finland, straining rescue services2024-05-22 01:20
NYC policy on how long migrant families can stay in shelters was 'haphazard,' audit finds2024-05-22 01:15
Angels add INF Niko Goodrum to roster, put INF Ehire Adrianza on injured list2024-05-22 01:09
U.S. House votes to kill motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson2024-05-22 01:03
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 262024-05-22 00:02
Bill Callahan says it's a 'no2024-05-21 23:57
Rapper NBA YoungBoy is held on $100K bail in Utah prescription fraud case2024-05-21 23:54
Emotional Mbappé confirms he will leave PSG ahead of an expected move to Real Madrid2024-05-21 23:37
Cruise worker 'murders newborn son on board ship': Shocked co2024-05-21 23:28
Suárez throws 7 scoreless innings, Castellanos and Rojas homer in Phillies 82024-05-21 22:51