Chinese people flock to Europe for EURO travel

Chinese people choose Europe and its exciting sporting events as their travel destinations for the vibrant summer.

The number of Chinese tourists booking flights to Germany for EURO 2024 has doubled and hotel bookings have increased 1.5 times. (Source: WELT)

Sports Heat

Sports events will attract many Chinese tourists to Europe this summer. Previously, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, most Chinese people were not able to enjoy the atmosphere of watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

EURO 2024 has highlighted the appeal of sports to Chinese tourists. Online travel service provider Qunar said that flight bookings to Germany during the football event doubled and hotel bookings increased 1.5 times. Notably, searches for Berlin, the host city of the EURO 2024 final, on the platform increased by 253% in the past week.

According to Chinese travel agency Ctrip, bookings for this summer have increased significantly, with trips to France up 80% year-on-year and Germany more than doubling. The company said that while Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries remain popular destinations, the heat of events such as EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics is driving a large number of Chinese tourists to Europe.

Ctrip data shows that hotel bookings in Paris during the Olympics have increased 108% year-on-year since June, while flight bookings to the city have increased 85%.

Li Ao said he was looking forward to an exciting summer in Europe with two major events: EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics. "My son loves tennis, and with the summer vacation here, being able to watch the tournament live is a blessing for our family," Li said.

Recognizing the importance of sports in character formation, Chinese parents encourage their children to participate in physical activities. This is also demonstrated by the Beijing government's inclusion of physical education in the high school entrance exam.

Another Chinese citizen shared that he spent six times the normal ticket price to watch the EURO 2024 match between Slovenia and Denmark. Due to visa difficulties during EURO 2024, he had to go to Barcelona, ​​then visit the FC Barcelona Museum and buy souvenirs for his son. Next year, he plans to fulfill his 11-year-old son's wish to visit Portugal, the homeland of football legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to Tongcheng Travel, Chinese tour groups with children accounted for 33.8% of international flights during the 2024 summer vacation, with the number of elderly tourists accounting for 22.5%, up 4% year-on-year. (Source: DW)

European destinations

Cheng Chaogong, a researcher at Tongcheng Travel, said that EURO 2024 and the Paris Olympics will not only boost tourism to Germany and France, but also spark interest in other European destinations. According to Tongcheng Travel, the majority of Chinese tourists are interested in Paris, followed by Berlin, London, Madrid and Athens. Many group package tours have already sold out on the platform.

"Demand for package tours to France and neighboring countries has increased significantly. Routes such as France-Italy-Switzerland and Netherlands-Belgium-Luxembourg-France are particularly popular," said Li Jiang, a European package tour service provider.

A Chinese executive said she booked a trip to Northern European countries in mid-August to avoid the tourist attractions during the peak season. She will bring her mother and two sons along. Although she has a lot of experience in overseas business trips, with the recent unrest in Europe, she decided to choose the service of a travel agency to avoid potential problems. She said that after years of staying at home due to Covid-19, she wanted her mother to be able to explore more places.

According to Tongcheng Travel, Chinese tour groups with children accounted for 33.8% of international flights during the summer vacation in 2024, of which the number of elderly tourists accounted for 22.5%, up 4% year-on-year.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nguo-i-dan-trung-quoc-do-xo-di-du-lich-chau-au-mu-a-euro-278301.html