New UK visa system to attract Chinese tourists?

June 09 2009 by Gareth McConnell

Chinese Premier Wen visits UK

The UK is considering entering the Schengen visa system or launching its own UK visa version in order to attract Chinese tourists who are on a wider European trip.

Businesses have spoken about their concerns that Chinese tourists are avoiding UK immigration when on a trip to Europe using their Schengen visas, because they need to apply for a separate UK visa to enter the country.

The Schengen visa system is an arrangement, ratified by a treaty set up in 1985, between member countries (there are 15 active members, all in Europe) that ends internal border controls for travellers who have possession of this visa. Short-term train, road and air travel between member countries are treated as internal, domestic visits. Neither the UK nor Ireland are members of the Schengen visa system.

Tourism figures show that UK immigration is not competing as it should be with neighbours France and Italy in attracting Chinese visitors. VisitBritain figures show that in 2007, only 150,000 Chinese tourists visited the UK, compared with 750,000 visiting France, which is part of the Schengen visa scheme.

Overall tourism figures are down in the UK, with 6.28 million tourists visiting the country in the first quarter of this year, down 13% on the figure for the same period a year ago.

The UK tourism industry says the country is missing an opportunity with China which is a growth market, according to VisitBritain. The tourism body says the Chinese are, “willing to travel". They may not, however, always be willing to apply for a UK visa to stop off here on a wider European tour, which they can otherwise undertake with a single visa.

Carma Elliot, the consul-general in Shanghai says "we are busily exploring the options... whether we could offer visas as part of a wider European tour."

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