Chasing the world's prettiest flowers

Utour launched dozens of flower-themed travel products in mid February, including tulips in Netherlands. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Gardens of the Northern Hemisphere explode with color as spring unfolds, and Chinese tourists are eager to discover

As weather warms up, many have taken time off to get away and feel the spring in the air, especially blossoms.

Destinations in the Northern Hemisphere, such as Europe and America, will all look their best at this time of year. Moreover, cheaper flights and national holidays in April and May have also encouraged many travelers to plan trips outside the mainland.

"Most of our blossom trips abroad have enjoyed good sales," says Li Mengran of Beijing Utour International Travel Service Co, a major outbound tourism operator.

Utour launched dozens of flower-themed travel products in mid February.

They feature sakura (cherry) in Japan, tulips in Netherlands, Claude Monet's Garden in France, camellias in Switzerland and oriental cherries in Germany's Bonn.

The Dutch and Japanese tours have witnessed the best bookings so far, according to Li.

"Half of trips to those two destinations have been fully booked till May," she says.