Chinese tourists have exhibited growing preference for personalized and high-quality travel experiences fueled by the rapid growth of the country's middle-income group and robust demand for international travel, said VFS Global, the world's leading visa application outsourcing and technology services provider.

Premium group tours with flexible itineraries are increasingly favored by Chinese tourists, while there is rising demand for long-haul trips to Europe among seniors, Kishen Singh, chief operating officer for China and Mongolia of VFS Global, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

Meanwhile, family-friendly and educational tours see particularly strong demand during the summer, and personalized value-added visa application services are gaining popularity among Chinese outbound travelers, Singh said.

"For long-distance travel, Chinese tourists have shown consistent preference for destinations such as Canada, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Meanwhile, short-distance travel demand has grown steadily in Japan, South Korea and Thailand," he said.

Singh said Schengen visa applications continue to grow steadily.

"Countries such as Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland remain popular among Chinese travelers due to their rich cultural heritage, world-class education systems and vibrant business opportunities."

He said Canada, the UK and the US also remain robust visa application destinations, largely driven by study abroad programs and family visits.

Visa applications enter a peak season in April, with summer travel approaching and surging demand for outbound travel, which is driven by study abroad programs, educational tours and summer camps, further intensifying application volumes, he said.

"China remains one of VFS Global's largest and most important source markets, with visa applications experiencing rapid growth. The first half of this year witnessed a substantial increase in application volumes, reflecting strong performance compared to the same period in 2024," Singh said.

He pointed out that China's outbound travel landscape is undergoing a transformation. While Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province's Guangzhou remain the top source cities for visa applications, emerging cities such as Hangzhou, Zhejiang province; Shenzhen, Guangdong province; Wuhan, Hubei province; and Xi'an, Shaanxi province are experiencing particularly strong year-on-year growth, signaling a broadening interest in international travel beyond China's biggest cities.

At present, VFS Global has more than 400 visa application centers across 16 cities in China, serving visa applications for 40 countries. The company has introduced its first fully digital visa application center in Guangzhou, serving Schengen visa applicants.

Equipped with digital signage, electronic bulletin boards, an intelligent queuing system and an optimized biometric collection process, this center has significantly improved service efficiency and security while delivering a smoother applicant experience.

Singh said VFS Global plans to gradually expand this digital model to other Chinese cities, focusing on extending digital service coverage and continuously optimizing processes to create a better visa application experience for applicants.

Looking forward, the company will expand visa services through initiatives such as "visa at your doorstep", enabling applicants to apply from their preferred locations, as well as enhance existing facilities and services, he added.

When asked about the application of fast-evolving artificial intelligence in visa application processing, Singh said the company pioneered AI and digital innovation by introducing an AI-powered chatbot for UK visa applicants across 141 countries worldwide, including China.

It delivers real-time conversational support through both voice and text input, effectively addressing diverse user needs. "Concurrently, we're developing additional AI and digital products to transform visa and consular services, always ensuring that responsible AI development is aligned with client governments' policies."

Experts said long-distance tours have been increasingly preferred by Chinese travelers thanks to relaxed visa policies and an increase in the number of international flights. The growth of China's outbound tourism will bolster the global tourism sector and the economic recovery of countries that depend heavily on tourism.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said China's outbound trip segment is expected to see steady growth this year, which will inject strong impetus into the prosperity of the country's tourism sector. He added that Chinese travelers' enthusiasm for outbound trips has unleashed a surge in visa applications.