The number of Chinese tourists who booked trips to the Nordic countries in 2018 soared by 82 percent compared to the previous year, according to China's largest travel site Ctrip.
Finland was the most visited country by Chinese tourists last year, followed by Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Most trips took place from May to September when the weather was warmer, said Shan Minmin, who is in charge of long-distance overseas trips for Ctrip.
Sanna Karkkainen, Managing director of Visit Rovaniemi, a northern Finnish region known for its Santa Claus Village, said the number of Chinese tourists to the region had risen significantly since 2015.
Cultural and lifestyle experiences have become more popular among Chinese tourists to Rovaniemi, Karkkainen said.
A report by Ctrip and the China Tourism Academy also showed that the focus of Chinese tourists who travelled abroad in the first half of 2018 had shifted from shopping to food and sightseeing.
Recently, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden jointly kicked off a tourism campaign to offer more distinctive travel experiences to Chinese visitors. They have developed gourmet food and lifestyle trips with an aim to present tourist experiences that are not well-known to Chinese travellers.
This year also marks the China-Finland Year of Winter Sports, which was unveiled in Beijing on Monday during Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's state visit to China.
As China gears up for the 2022 Winter Olympics, winter sports such as skating and skiing have become more popular among Chinese, providing huge potential for cooperation between the two countries.
京公网安备 11010502048770号
