With local travel agencies and tourism officials predicting China will allow domestic tour groups to visit 12 European Union countries as of May 1, European booths were crowded when the 2004 Shanghai World Travel Fair opened Thursday. 

The 12 EU countries signed a memo with the Chinese government last Thursday. Many in the industry saw it as a sign the government is preparing to grant them Approved Destination Status, a step that generally takes a few months to finalize.

The 12 countries include Spain, France, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands.

Currently, domestic tour groups are only approved to visit 28 countries, including Germany, Thailand and Australia.

"There is no question Europe will be the new favorite destination for Chinese travelers during future weeklong holidays, such as Labor Day in May and National Day in October," said Chen Shuiqin, a manager with Shanghai CTS (Group) Co. Ltd.

That doesn't mean local tourists will stop visiting traditional destination in Southeast Asia, Chen said. She noted that China’s huge population means there is plenty of room for growth in the industry.

She said the most popular trips generally cost less than 5,000 yuan (US$602), far less than the majority of European vacations.

Wang Chen, a manager with Shanghai Jinjiang Overseas Affairs Service Ltd., said he was impressed to discover European travel brochures being handed out at the fair are printed in Chinese.

"There are always European booths at the annual China International Travel Mart, but the material they hand out is always in English. It is different now as they are quite clear about who the target (audience) is," said Wang.

Marieke Reichwein, a consultant for the Netherlands Tourism Bureau, said her country will offer local travel agencies training and information about popular tourism sites.

Spain's Andalucia Tourism Board has spent the past 18 months researching China's tourism market.

"Chinese tourists are interested in food, flamenco dance and history more than basking on the beach," said Federico Miro Vazquez, an ATB official.

Several EU countries plan to set up tourism offices in China to deal with the possible avalanche of Chinese visitors.

"We will soon set up an office in China, but I don't know when or where," said Emmy Dede-Nagata of the Greek National Tourism Organization.

"I can say for sure that a website in Chinese will be ready in five months."

The trade fair, the first of what is scheduled to be an annual event, will run through Sunday at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

(Shanghai Daily February 20, 2004)