The national flags of China and Poland are displayed at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 23, 2024 to welcome the visit of Polish President Andrzej Duda. Photo: VCG

Searches for China-related keywords on travel platforms by Polish users increased by 40 percent compared to the previous day, according to media reports, following China's decision on Monday to implement a 15-day unilateral visa-free policy for Polish citizens.

Chinese cities popular with Polish tourists include Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, and Zhangjiajie in Central China's Hunan Province, according to a report from Trip.com, an international travel service provider.

As of Sunday, Poland ranked among the top 30 source countries for inbound Chinese tourism this year, according to data from Trip.com. Travel orders from Polish tourists entering China in the upcoming summer have increased by 80 percent year-on-year.

Qin Jing, Vice President of Trip.com Group, stated that Poland, located in the "heart of Europe," has close economic and trade exchanges with China, with almost all trains from China entering the European Union through Poland. The visa-free policy has been identified as a powerful measure to promote the recovery of inbound tourism in China and has sparked a "China Travel" trend overseas.

New Zealand and Australia were also added to China's list of unilateral visa-free countries in June. Ordinary Passport holders from these countries will be able to enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, for up to 15 days, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Global Times