China's latest visa-free policy has provided new travel choices for Europeans, attracting local tour agencies to explore new business opportunities in China's tourism market while helping boost people-to-people exchange.
Viktor Vereb, manager of Hiseas Travel Agency in Hungary, has been promoting Hungary and Central Europe as the travel destinations for Chinese tourists for over a decade. As China's new visa policy offers many Europeans a chance to take a look around China, he has been exploring business opportunities the other way.
"China is a very fascinating and interesting country. On the one hand, they have their rich history that goes back 5,000 years, and on the other hand, that rapid and robust development they have been through in the past 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, I think, you have to see this, Europeans have to see this," said Vereb.
And in Slovakia, experts expect that the number of visits to China will triple compared to past statistics.
"We want to promote China as a luxury destination. You can fly in very good business class, you can stay in five star hotels and you can explore the traditional culture. And this will be the main topic of our campaign. And of course, without visa, it's so easy," said Jozef Zeliznak, marketing director of Bubo Travel agency.
The visa-free policy turns out to be especially attractive for the younger generation. As the current policy applies mostly to tourists, they are expecting that it could pave the way for more academic exchanges between European countries and China, allowing them to know China deeper and more directly.
"Then you can really see what the society there is really like and be a part of it and learn all of it, basically, more than you would as a tourist," said Hanna Leindl, a student from Vienna University.
China's visa-free policy provides new travel choices for Europeans
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,658, with 108,583 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.
In the past 24 hours alone, at least 77 people were killed and 145 others were injured in Gaza, according to the statement.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing seven people, including four children. Several others were injured, some of whom are in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has threatened medical teams, patients, and staff at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, warning that the facility will be bombed unless they evacuate immediately.
The Hamas-run media office reported on Friday that the Israel Defense Forces continue to destroy hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving approximately 40,000 Palestinians without access to medical services.
On the same day, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, stated that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened due to freezing winter temperatures and recent rainfall. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid entering the region remains severely limited, leaving residents in urgent need of shelters and other essential supplies.
According to a UN report released in mid-December last year, at least 945,000 Gazans are in urgent need of winter items such as warm clothing, blankets, and tarpaulins.
The IOM has reiterated its call for all parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease fire, release detainees, protect Gaza's civilians, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid.
Hamas confirmed on Friday that indirect negotiations with Israel have resumed in Doha, Qatar, with the goal of achieving a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Hamas said that the latest round of talks is expected to focus on achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, securing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and facilitating the safe and prompt return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,658
