EU, US should take steps to reduce hardships for Chinese tourists

Andy Zeng, the chief executive of Hua Yuan International Travel Co Ltd, was worried because one of his travel groups from Europe was not due to reach Beijing until late on a Friday night following a flight delay.

The flight delay was the least of Zeng's worries. His main concern was for his company's tour group leader, who had to persuade group members to stay on in Beijing until visa formalities were completed the following Monday. When Chinese tour groups return from overseas, some countries insist that group members' visas be cancelled. The entire process turned out to be an extremely expensive affair for Zeng and his company.

Such cases have become commonplace in China in recent times as strict and troublesome visa issuance, interview and cancellation policies of several countries have irked tourists and resulted in travel agencies being sued by tourists.

According to the National Tourism Administration, there were 57.39 million Chinese outbound tourists in 2010, 1.5 times that of the United States, and 3.5 times that of Japan. More than 90 percent of these tourists traveled abroad for private purposes.

The number of Chinese outbound tourists reached more than 30 million in the first half of this year and is expected to top 65 million for the whole year. China will continue to lead Asia in outbound tourism, with tourists heading to newer countries and destinations. So much so, that it is fair to assume that China has played an important role in the recovery of the global tourism industry.

A recent study by the China Tourism Academy reveals that most spending by Chinese outbound tourists was in Europe, followed by the United States. But very often the complicated visa issuance, interview and cancellation policies have acted as detriments for outbound tourism to Europe and the US.

The visa approval process is tedious and time-consuming even when Chinese outbound tourists submit applications for private purposes. Even the most fortunate ones to get a quick visa have to spend a couple of weeks on preparing the various documents, waiting for the visa interview and then the approval. Valuable time and enthusiasm is lost in the entire process.

To make matters worse, very often when the tourists return from Europe after a long-distance flight, they have to deal with troublesome interviews and cancellation procedures.

Nowadays, only a few countries use the visa interview and cancellation policy. But embassies and consulates of Schengen countries, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and some other countries still insist on it.

Part of the reason why many of these nations insist on a visa cancellation process stems from their belief that many Chinese outbound tourists obtain visas without formal interviews. Moreover, some embassies and consulates also believe that illegal immigration can be effectively prevented through the visa interview and cancellation policies.

The main problem with such a dispensation is that the process can be conducted only at specific times on specific days, whereas, the cost of transportation, lodging, catering and other expenses during this period need to be borne by the Chinese tourists.

Nowadays, self-guided tours are becoming more and more popular and could very well be the trend for outbound tourism in the future. Thus, it is imperative that embassies and consulates adopt a more convenient visa policy and also provide better outbound services.

Many nations have already taken the cue and adopted several positive measures to attract more Chinese tourists. Thailand, for instance, has abolished Chinese outbound tourists' visa fees. Japan has cancelled the regulation that Chinese outbound tourists who want to go to Japan need to have an annual income of at least 250,000 yuan.

No country in Southeast Asia requires visa interviews and cancellation, except for Singapore. South Korea does not require any visa interview and cancellation, except for some categories of tourists.

On the contrary, when Chinese outbound tourists want to go to Europe or the US, they have to undergo a lengthy ordeal, thereby creating obstacles in the smooth flow of tourists.

It is hoped that the European Union and the US take urgent steps to revise their visa policies, so that they can welcome more Chinese tourists rather than extinguish their enthusiasm.

The author is a PhD from the International Tourism Development Institute under the China Tourism Academy.