City view of Havana, capital of Cuba Photo: VCG

There has been a sharp surge in searches for flights to Cuba, rising 30-fold month-on-month according to data from travel platform Fliggy, with direct flights between China and Cuba set to resume on Friday.

Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are among China's top cities in terms of travelers seeking flights to Cuba, the platform said. It comes after Cuba's recent announcement of a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports.

Direct flights between China and Cuba are set to resume on Friday, operated by Air China, according to Cuba's Minister for Tourism Juan Carlos Garcia.

The flights will provide a seamless travel experience, with transit through Spain, eliminating the need for a transit visa and enhancing convenience for travelers between China and Cuba, Pan Deng, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Region Law Center of the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Xinhua reported on May 5 that Cuba's tourism industry has been creating travel products specifically for Chinese tourists since the visa exemption was announced, citing Cuba's minister for tourism.

The eagerness for travel between China and Cuba reflects the desire in both countries to promote personal exchanges and foster closer ties, Pan added.

Global Times