The outbreak of a previously unknown strain of coronavirus in the Hubei region in China has put a focus on the many people travelling between the European Union (EU) and China. European tourism statistics shed light on the number of these trips.
In 2018, residents from 27 EU Member States made 1.75 million trips from the European Union to China, making China the 11th most popular destination outside the EU. Trips to China represented close to 2% of the total number of trips made outside the EU in 2018.
The number of trips from the EU to China varies strongly from year to year; in 2018, it increased by more than a third (+36%) compared with the year before; in 2017 it fell by a fifth (-21%) and in 2016 it increased by one half (+50%).
Half of the trips from EU to China are for business
Around half (48%) of the trips made by EU residents to China in 2018 were made for professional purposes. The rest were made for personal reasons, mostly for vacation (35% of the total) or for visiting friends and relatives (15%).
Business trips are mostly short, while visits to friends and relatives last longer
One half (50%) of the professional trips from EU to China in 2018 lasted 4-7 days. Vacation trips were of varying length; close one third (31%) lasted 4-7 days, one third (31%) 8-14 days and one third (34%) 15-28 days. Visits to friends and relatives tended to be longer, with 45% lasting 2-4 weeks (15-28 days) and 23% lasting 1-2 weeks (8-15 days).
The highest numbers of trips were in March and April
Over the year, the number of trips from EU to China varies strongly. In 2018, almost half (47%) of these trips took place in the four months from February to May; March and April were the months with the highest number of trips, each accounting for 14% of the total for the year.
The EU is an important and growing destination for Chinese tourists
The EU is an important destination for Chinese tourists, and Chinese visitors are important to the tourism sector in many parts of the EU. In 2018, hotels and other tourist accommodations across the EU recorded nearly 22 million nights spent by tourists from China, 7% higher than in 2017. This was nearly five times more than ten years earlier. In 2018, the main destinations for Chinese tourists within the EU were Italy (5.3 million nights), France (4.0 million nights), Germany (3.0 million nights) and Spain (2.5 million nights).
For more information on the statistics available in this area, take a look at the overview of tourism statistics.
Note:
- EU aggregates have been estimated for the purpose of this publication.
- The European Union (EU) includes 27 EU Member States. The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Further information is published here.
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