Several hundred people line up to apply for outbound travel visas in front of a visa center in Shanghai on April 17, 2025. Photo: IC

China's outbound visa applications in 2025 recorded double-digit growth, and Northern and Central-Eastern Europe emerged as growth drivers, demonstrating strong momentum for outbound tourism, a report released by VFS Global, an outsourcing and technology services specialist for official and diplomatic missions, showed on Tuesday.

The report also said that popular traditional destinations such as Italy and Germany continued to achieve significant double-digit percentage growth despite their already substantial transaction volumes.

Northern and Central-Eastern Europe have emerged as significant growth drivers. Iceland, where the northern lights trend remains intensely popular, witnessed phenomenal growth from a medium-sized base, with Norway and Sweden also posting notable double-digit increases. Overall, the Nordic region has become one of the most reliable growth sectors, the report said. 

Poland and the Czech Republic, leveraging their high cost-effectiveness and rich cultural heritage, achieved growth rates well above the average from a medium-to-high base, demonstrating strong appeal in attracting travelers. Destinations such as Belgium and Portugal showed healthy growth, reflecting the enduring appeal of established markets, per the report. 

Some emerging destinations demonstrated remarkable growth elasticity despite their smaller market bases. Bulgaria ranked among the fastest-growing destinations, while Croatia maintained steady growth, reflecting travelers' strong interest in exploring cost-effective and culturally unique locations, according to the report. 

Although these markets currently remain small in scale, their exceptionally high growth rates indicate they are rapidly transitioning from "niche destinations" to "potential hotspots," it said. 

Driven by the coming Spring Festival holidays, demand for medium- to long-haul outbound travel has risen significantly.

Guan Jian, spokesperson of the GZL International Travel Service, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the travel agency is expected to send nearly 300 outbound tour groups in the week before Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16, with 65 percent of these being eight- to 12-day long-haul products.

The first peak before the festival was on February 9, with many tourists opting for eight- to 12-day long-haul trips to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and Europe, Guan said. 

China saw a record 697 million inbound and outbound crossings in 2025, up 14.2 percent from the previous year, as the country's expanded visa-free and travel facilitation policies continued to boost international travel and promote people-to-people exchanges worldwide, according to official data.

Outbound travel also contributed to the record figure. Statistics from the National Immigration Administration showed that Chinese mainland residents accounted for 335 million cross-border trips, up 15.1 percent from 2024.

Chinese airlines are also busying exploring more routes. Beijing Daxing International Airport said on Tuesday that during this year's Spring Festival, in addition to popular short-haul international and regional destinations such as Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asian countries, long-haul international travel from the airport to the Middle East and Europe has also gained significant popularity.

The airport said that the flight route between Beijing Daxing and Helsinki, Finland is set to launch on March 29, further expanding travel options for travelers. 

Beijing Daxing International Airport handled 5.8905 million international and regional passenger trips last year, a year-on-year increase of 24.56 percent. Currently, the airport offers flights to nearly 50 cities worldwide, establishing convenient air links connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.

On December 8, China Southern Airlines and Virgin Australia officially signed a new codeshare agreement. This partnership is set to significantly enhance China Southern's route network coverage in Oceania, offering people traveling between China and Australia a more diverse, convenient, and efficient travel experience.