Low airfares make travel to Britain during upcoming holiday season hard to resist

The United Kingdom has unexpectedly emerged as a popular travel destination for Chinese tourists, especially in the second half of the year, industry experts say.

According to Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency, the UK saw the biggest annual increase ever during the seven-day National Day holiday in October. The number of tourists booking trips via Ctrip rose by 60 percent during the holiday.

Ctrip's sales of UK packages are not comparable to those for Japan, South Korea or Thailand: The distance is further and the cost is higher. But they outnumbered trips to another popular destination closer to home - Australia - and are nipping at the heels of long-time favorites such as the United States, Italy and France.

Zhu Linlin, a communications specialist at a Shanghai-based multinational insurance company, flew to the UK during the National Day holiday. Before going, Zhu didn't have very high expectations. But the trip turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

"There is so much to see - the museums, the castles, universities and even just the natural scenery," she says. "While people used to say that tourists in the UK will be fed up with fish and chips, I would like to say that they are all wrong. There are plenty of choices. I ate to my heart's content at every meal. Since the pound has been low after the Brexit vote, the whole trip was really worth the money."

After the peak national holiday travel season ended, the cost of Ctrip packages fell by 10 to 20 percent. As a result, Chinese tourists' interest in the UK persisted, with a view toward the big Christmas-related sales in December, and New Year sales in January.

Li Yi, a fashion buyer from Shanghai, visited the UK in late October. Now, with the heavy sales season just around the corner, she has booked fresh flights for January.

"I used to live in London - for six years," she says. "It can be said that my understanding of the fashion business started to take shape there. There are so many fashion brands that are really chic and unique, although they are less-known than big names. It's better for me to go there and check out the latest trends. And, of course, the prices are very attractive."

To cater to the growing demand from China, hotels and airlines have come out with special offers. As the year winds to a close, the shopping season - with big events like Black Friday and Christmas - is sure to lure thousands of Chinese to Britain, industry experts say.

Como Metropolitan London, located in the central part of the city, provides its guests with personalized shopping guidance services at the outlet store Bicester Village. Additional 10 percent discount is provided to Como's guests at this outlet.

British Airways charges its business-class passengers 14,800 yuan ($2,172; 2,025 euros; 1,730) each for a round trip from Shanghai to the UK, if a group of two to five people book tickets together by the end of November. Travelers flying from Chengdu or Beijing can enjoy separate discounts. Special group packages through the year cover holidays including Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and Labor Day.

According to Richard Tams, executive vice-president of British Airways China, the UK has become one of the most popular destinations for travelers from China. The airline started providing special group trips this month, which are designed to provide travel plans "for the next great holidays, with ample lead time and great savings", Tams says.

shijing@chinadaily.com.cn