Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has visited China and announced that visa applications from the country’s travellers would be processed within 48 hours. Spanish five-star hotels are serving up white rice for breakfast as Spain offers quicker visas and seeks more direct flights from China to tap into the surging wave of Chinese tourists.

 

The government is also in talks with Asian airlines to boost traffic through Madrid’s underused airport by offering reduced fees and promoting Spain as a hub for travel to Latin America. So far only one airline, Air China, offers direct flights between Spain and China seven times a week. In contrast, Italy has 28 direct weekly flights to China, France has 70 and Germany 87. While Chinese travellers usually visit several countries during a trip to Europe, they are unlikely to include Spain if they land in another country because of its geographic location, said University of London lecturer Keven Lathan, author of a book on Chinese tourism in Europe.

 

It is one of a handful of Spanish hotels that have obtained a certificate labelling them as “Chinese Friendly” because they have met a list of requirements deemed necessary to adapt to Chinese tastes. It is one of a handful of Spanish hotels that have obtained a certificate labelling them as “Chinese Friendly” because they have met a list of requirements deemed necessary to adapt to Chinese tastes.