The United Kingdom opened its flagship visa application center in Beijing on Dec 15 to provide better service to the growing number of Chinese traveling to the UK.

And 2010 has been a record year for Chinese visitors to the UK. In the first three quarters, Chinese demand for UK tourist visas reached 130,000 applicants, about 45 percent more than the same period in 2009.

"We are very delighted to see the healthy growth and are keen to increase Chinese tourism to the UK, since we recognize that many more Chinese will wish to use rising incomes to travel and see more of the world," Ambassador to China Sebastian Wood says.

The latest Market and Trade Profile report on China, released on the national tourism agency's website, www.visitbritain.com, shows 22.9 million outbound trips from the Chinese mainland in 2008. The UK ranked 22nd among the most visited destinations.

"Currently, we only have 0.5 percent of the market share of Chinese tourists," Prime Minister David Cameron said in a speech in central London on Aug 12.

"If we could increase that to just 2.5 percent, this could add over half a billion pounds ($774 million) of spending to our economy. And some sources suggest this could mean as many as 10,000 new jobs."

Cameron also stressed the UK should work more closely with international partners to improve the local delivery of visa services in key markets like China.

To sustain the increase this year and pursue a higher rank in the Chinese market, the country that's celebrated for its magnificent castles, cozy pubs and stately manors launched a promotion campaign in China in November.

The campaign pitch was that exciting sights and experiences are around every corner in the country with the most world-class heritage and historical sights in the world.

The government has started a special page, entitled Love UK, on social networking sites Facebook and Flickr.

Tourists are encouraged to upload their best photos of Britain to win airline tickets courtesy of British Airways and a Panasonic Lumix camera.

In addition, a special British Airways fare of 3,980 yuan ($597.4) for a return world traveler (economy class) ticket between Beijing or Shanghai and London is available before March 31, 2011.

The new application center will also provide better services to Chinese students who hope to study in the UK.

As of September, nearly 42,000 student visas had been issued to Chinese nationals, a 20 percent increase over 2009.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/23/2010 page22)