Long lines formed in front of the Air China check-in counters at Terminal 2 of Shanghai Pudong Airport on June 17, 2024, as summer vacations significantly increase the number of travelers heading to Europe. Photo: VCG

As global tourism continues to pick up momentum, the demand for outbound tourism among Chinese citizens is also on the rise, as data showed that the total number of visa applications processed in the first six months of 2024 has already reached nearly 70 percent of the same period in 2019, with Europe a popular choice due to the Paris Olympics.

This year has seen a notable surge in applications for travel, studying abroad and business purposes. Visa applications in the first half of this year have reached nearly 70 percent of the same period in 2019, VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology service agency told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Among these, the demand for Schengen visas is particularly in high, it added.

Taking advantage of the 2024 European Cup and Paris Olympics, coupled with the continuous growth in visa applications for study tours and visits, Europe has become a popular choice for summer outbound travel, VFS said.

"As one of our largest and most important source markets, China is experiencing a peak in visa applications. With the resumption of flights and changes in visa policies, there has been a significant increase in the enthusiasm of Chinese citizens for high-end ooutbound tourism," said Kishen Singh, Chief Operating Officer of Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Mongolia of VFS Global.

Most applicants are from first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Singh said.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, which starts on Friday, Chinese tourists have become more enthusiastic about traveling to France.

China Eastern Airlines said its China-France flights have transported 16,000 passenger trips with 84.48 percent load factor in the first 18 days of July before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, up 3.94 percentage points from last month.

The carrier said that during the 2024 summer travel peak, the booking volume of China-France flights surpassed the level in the same period of 2019 and the load factor saw a 1.02 percentage point increase, the carrier told the Global Times.

Before and after the Paris Olympics, many airlines, including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines launched or increased direct flights to France.

China Southern Airlines plans to increase its Guangzhou-Paris route from five flights a week to seven from July 26 to September 11. Hainan Airlines also plans to start a direct route from Chongqing to Paris from August 6, in addition to the current Shenzhen to Paris route.

The number of inquiries and bookings for France and Europe has increased significantly in the past few months because of the Paris Olympics, Cheng Xin, a senior travel consultant at the travel agency UTour Group Co, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The Paris Olympics also indirectly boosted the summer tourism market across Europe. Data provided by travel platform Qunar.com showed that from July 20 to August 20, the number of international air ticket bookings for Paris increased 2.3 times compared with the same period last year.

Cheng predicted that due to the Paris Olympics, the number of Chinese tourists to France and other European countries during the summer vacation could grow by around 30 percent year-on-year.

Visa demand from Chinese travelers has been increasing steadily since 2023 and continues to accelerate in 2024, Singh said.

Major destinations for visa applications for Chinese travelers include Canada, Germany, Italy, UK and the US. Additionally, Japan, South Korea and Thailand are popular choices among countries closer to China, he added.