Barcelona [Spain], October 4: Spain has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists traveling abroad during China's National Day holiday week, according to data from online travel agency Trip.com.
The eight-day "golden week" holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to 8 and coincides this year with China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, has driven a sharp rise in outbound travel.
Flights from China to Spain are up 53 percent compared with last year, Trip.com said, with Barcelona and Madrid remaining the most popular cities. Demand is also expanding beyond traditional hubs, with bookings to Ronda surging 98 percent and to Cordoba 83 percent, reflecting a growing interest in the country's wider culture and heritage.
Direct air connections between the two countries surged to 61 flights weekly this summer, doubling the pre-pandemic levels. The most recent addition was a Shanghai-Barcelona route launched by China Eastern Airlines in late September, according to Spain's national tourism board Turespana.
Tourism experts welcomed the influx, stressing the need for streamlined travel procedures and stronger promotion in China to sustain growth. Albert Vancells of the Autonomous University of Barcelona said more delegations should market Spanish gastronomy, heritage sites, cultural events, and wine regions directly to Chinese travelers.
Spain's tourism industry saw record summer arrivals this year, with 55.5 million international visitors in the first seven months, the National Statistics Institute reported. July alone registered 11 million arrivals, the highest monthly figure on record.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
