30% Increase in Swiss Schengen Visas Applications from Chinese Nationals

Switzerland, a popular destination for Chinese tourists is gearing up to welcome an increasing number of Chinese visitors in the coming months.

The country has also already begun seeing an increase in Schengen visa requests filed in China.

Simon Bosshart is a senior official in the Swiss national tourism agency. He has stated that the Chinese nationals will be a major market once more for Switzerland after China removes the COVID-19 restriction. SchengenVisaInfo.com reported this.

China Daily reported that before the pandemic started in 2019, Chinese tourists spent on average 380 Swiss Francs per person or $425 per day.

In the same time period, Chinese tourists spent a total 1.8 million nights in Switzerland. This makes China the fourth most important source of tourists to Switzerland. This figure, however, fell by between 2 and 10% after 2019, each year.

Bosshart says that the demand for visas to travel to Switzerland is evident, as it has increased 30 percent between January and February of this year in comparison to 2019.

"China is a huge market with a population that is developing fast, living in big cities, and looking for authentic experiences, pure nature, and relaxing environments. Switzerland is well-positioned to meet the needs of Chinese tourists for such unique experiences," Bosshart pointed out.

The Swiss Tourism Board also emphasized that sustainable travel was a priority. In response, European governments that promote sustainable travel demanded that tourism boards in Switzerland also boost the country.

The number of visas has decreased dramatically in China due to the COVID-19.

Schengen Visa Statistics has released new data showing that Chinese nationals will submit 92,780 visa applications in 2022 at consulates and centres for visas in the country.

Normaly, China is the second-largest source of visa applications for Schengen countries. Due to the closing of the border, China has dropped below the 20th place. This is expected to change this year with the reopening the borders.

Bosshart revealed that Switzerland Tourism is expecting to recover as much as 50 percent of the total number of visitors for 2019 this year. He added that even if that recovery is only 40 percent, that is still considered a good improvement.

Bosshart also said that Switzerland is expecting to be fully recovered by 2026, and that it hopes to provide more quality tourism. This could result in fewer guests spending more time on the island, as well as a reduction in guest stays.

The Swiss authorities launched several campaigns to try and attract as many Chinese tourists as possible. A notice from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed that Chinese tour operators and travel agencies will be permitted to resume group pilot tours as of February 6, this year. The tour operators also offer air packages and hotels to visitors.

The Swiss government decided in January this year to eliminate the testing requirement for Chinese passengers. They also confirmed they do not plan to tighten travel restrictions on these passengers.

Source: schengenvisainfo.com