Group optimistic on China’s visa-free policy extension for European countries

The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA) president, Frank Oostdam, said the European umbrella organization for travel agents and tour operators is optimistic about the potential of China for European tourists.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday at the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, where ECTAA is hosting its annual summit, Oostdam remarked that visa-free policies extended to European countries over the last few years have contributed to increased interest from European travelers in visiting China. This trend can also benefit Macau.

He said those policies are set to expire at the end of this year, and the European travel organization hopes they can be extended indefinitely.

“If you talk about unlocking the potential of tourism from Europe to China, then this visa exemption we have, which officially will end at the end of this year, [we hope it] can be extended for many more years. Because if you increase accessibility, then I’m sure people from Europe will feel much more comfortable visiting Macau and the region,” he said.

Asked about potential reciprocity from European countries to allow Chinese travelers easier access to Europe, Oostdam said this is one of ECTAA’s goals: to promote greater borderless travel and reduce burdens on people. Nonetheless, he is not optimistic that the current scenario will change quickly.

“ECTAA is very much in favor of freedom of movement. We believe that when people have contact, that’s another value of tourism, and ultimately, we will have a better world. We continue to knock on European doors, specifically the European Commission, to lower the threshold for people outside Europe and to increase the number of people who can travel freely,” he said.

“Looking at the political climate in Europe, and also in my own country (the Netherlands), it’s not that enthusiastic. It’s a little more restrictive. So the climate is not that positive [at the moment]. However, if you look at ECTAA’s ambition and our motivation, we aim to have as many people as possible traveling throughout the world without borders. But I’m not entirely confident we will reach that point easily or quickly,” he added.

Beyond accessibility, connectivity was another key issue addressed by the travel industry, with Oostdam noting that all advancements in this field contribute to building greater trust among travelers visiting new countries and regions.

“We talked about payment and payment procedures, which, for Europeans, have been a bit of a hassle. But we are convinced there’s a lot of innovation. It’s becoming more straightforward for Europeans to pay [for goods and services],” he said.

Oostdam noted that while arriving in Guangzhou, he experienced some difficulties, adding that it’s still not easy to link European payment systems with Asian and Chinese ones, “but it’s progressing.”

He emphasized that payment facilitation and visa measures remain the two most essential issues to continue addressing.

Direct links through the mainland deserve consideration

Still on connectivity, ECTAA’s vice president, Heli Mäki-Fränti, stressed the importance of maintaining regular daily flights between China and Europe, a goal that has faced challenges since the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly due to the closure of Russian airspace to European carriers.

“There’s not much airlines can do. Of course, many continue flying. For example, Finnish carrier Finnair still flies to Shanghai and Hong Kong, but they used to have 10 weekly flights to different Chinese destinations before COVID and have not returned to that level. I also know some other European airlines have dramatically reduced flights because [without Russian airspace] flight times are longer and more expensive – and customers aren’t willing to pay for that,” she said.

She added that Chinese airlines are currently unaffected by this restriction and are actively operating in the European market, “but people in Europe do not know them that well yet.”

MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes

As Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), also pointed out, Mäki-Fränti believes this is an opportunity for Chinese airlines to grow.

Speaking at the same press conference, Senna Fernandes said that while Macau continues to rely heavily on Hong Kong’s international airport for medium- and long-haul flights, mainland airports like Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai offer viable alternatives.

She noted that visa-free entry policies for some European countries have made these routes increasingly practical.

“Normally, we use Hong Kong Airport. We have excellent connectivity now thanks to the [Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau] Bridge. People can land in Hong Kong and take a bus directly into Macau. But I think we haven’t fully explored connectivity through mainland China. Direct flights from Europe to Beijing or Shanghai can also bring people to Macau. Guangzhou is another significant hub. We need to examine all possible routes,” the director said.

“Obviously, it would be my dream to have a direct flight from Europe one day. But if not, we still have other options. In the future, we’ll need to broaden our thinking about where and how we connect,” she added.

European visitor arrivals up 16% in 2025

At the 2025 ECTAA Summit press conference, MGTO director Senna Fernandes said visitor arrivals from Europe increased by 16% year-on-year in the first four months of 2025.

“Until April, over 77,000 Europeans have come to Macau, which is a 16% year-on-year increase. Currently, the recovery level of European tourism to Macau stands at approximately 77% of pre-Covid levels. I trust we can hopefully go beyond 2019 in the future,” she said.

She added that further engagement between the tourism trade and European travel representatives at the summit and side events could boost these numbers further.