When the first 215 Chinese tourists in four groups returned from Germany last week, they found their luggage 50 percent heavier than when they left.
In the 10-day trip, the tourists not only visited famous cities such as Berlin, Munich and Heidelberg, but also spent over 10,000 euros buying German leather, sports wear and other items. They had paid 10,000 yuan (1,250 US dollars) on average for the trip.
Wang Yanguang, an official with China International Travel Service, believed Chinese tourists had added vitality to German tourism development.
Beijing insurance agent Wei Pingbo, who had learned a few German sentences, realized his dream of traveling to Europe and brought back a full suitcase.
"Photos and souvenirs help me recall the beautiful memory of the trip. I would also like to bring gifts for colleagues and relatives," he said.
After making several trips to the tourism destinations in neighboring countries and regions, more and more Chinese are now keen to see distant parts of Europe.
As the first country to gained Authorized Destination Status (ADS) in the European Union, Germany's promotions in China have been paying off. The German National Tourism Board (GNTB) had carried out promotional activities in Beijing,
Shanghai and
GuangZhou as well as participating in the annual China International Tourism Mart (CITM).
Ursula Schorcher, chairman of the GNTB, often leads delegations to China. "We're devoted to promoting cultural, city and exhibition tours. We've also found the Chinese have a great interest in learning German, so we will prepare for language tours," she said.
The GNTB is aware of the potential of inbound Chinese tourists, hoping the number would rank third in five years only after the United States and Japan.
In the first 10 months of 2002, the overnight stays of Chinese people in Germany increased 12 percent compared with the previous year. From 1994 to 2001, the number of Chinese people visiting Germany rose 78 percent.
Xu Shengli, chief representative of GNTB China, predicted some 20,000 Chinese people would visit Germany this year, with total overnights stays exceeding 600,000.
Airline companies may be one of the major beneficiaries.
"By code sharing, Lufthansa now has 18 weekly flights from China's mainland to Germany. The number is expected to grow in order to satisfy tourist demand," said Peter Emmerich, chief representative of Lufthansa China.
German tourism companies also shared the benefits, working hard to prepare Chinese dishes and porridge. Tapes and maps were available in Chinese at scenic spots.
More and more Chinese people now can afford to travel abroad, making tourism a booming industry after real estate and automobiles. In 2002, over 16 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas.
The prediction that China would become the fourth largest tourism source nation by 2020, is attracting many countries to seek authorized destination status.
