Trips to Europe hot draws in summer season

Chinese travelers have shown great enthusiasm for trips to Europe this summer, fueled by sporting events like the UEFA Euro 2024 and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, industry players said.

In fact, travel to Paris is forecast to accelerate in the coming weeks, they said.

Following a strong surge in visits during the May Day and Dragon Boat Festival holidays, China's outbound tourism market is expected to show greater resilience.

Bookings to France and Germany have shown the highest year-on-year growth, according to data from online travel agencies.

Search volumes for travel to Germany for 2024, which began on June 15, have tripled this month over the levels seen in May. In particular, search volumes for travel to Berlin, the host city of the UEFA Euro 2024 finals that will be held on July 14, have climbed week by week, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.

Booking volumes for international flights to Germany during the UEFA Euro 2024 have doubled over the same period last year, Qunar found.

Besides, booking volumes for hotels in Germany have jumped 150 percent year-on-year, and average room prices have climbed 25 percent on a yearly basis. Specifically, bookings for hotels in Berlin have surged 400 percent year-on-year, followed by that for Munich and Frankfurt.

"The football matches have also driven the popularity of Chinese travelers visiting other European countries. Till the end of July, hotel bookings for Italy have tripled over last year, and France, Spain, and the United Kingdom have seen their hotel booking volumes double year-on-year," said Xiao Peng, a researcher with the big data research institute of Qunar.

"Europe has always been a popular destination for summer travel by Chinese tourists. This year, Germany's hosting of the UEFA Euro 2024 has attracted more sports and tourism fans," Xiao said.

Prices of international flights to Europe and local hotels are expected to increase by 30 percent to 40 percent from July.

Meanwhile, Paris will host the Olympic Games from July 24 to Aug 11. This period coincides with the peak season for outbound travel in China and is set to significantly hike the popularity of tourism in France, industry players said.

Paris and other major cities in France, as well as Berlin, London, and Madrid have seen the highest increases in travel product bookings in Europe, according to Tongcheng Travel, an online travel agency based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

As of the first two weeks of June, booking volumes of flights from major Chinese cities to Paris for July had jumped more than 70 percent year-on-year, and hotel bookings in Paris for next month had surged 150 percent on a yearly basis, data from Tongcheng Travel showed.

Most Chinese tourists who plan to visit Paris this summer are from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Chengdu, Sichuan province, and Hong Kong.

Family travel is forecast to grow significantly, and the Paris Olympics will be the first choice for many Chinese families.

Some popular options for group tours of 10 to 12 days to Europe this summer carry price tags of over 30,000 yuan ($4,132) per person. Boosted by strong demand, some travel routes have been sold out, according to Tongcheng Travel.

Besides, some Chinese travelers are choosing to fly to Paris and join a local tour group for three to seven days. The demand for Mandarin-speaking tour guides and chartered car services in Paris has also been growing.