BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhuanet) --The European Union is working on "flexible rules" for visa applications to woo Chinese travelers in a bid to boost the region's tourism industry, said a top official from the European Commission on Friday.
Antonio Tajani, vice-president of the European Commission, told a news conference in Beijing that the commission aims to make the visa application process easier for Chinese tourists.
"It is very important for the EU to have more Chinese visitors," Tajani said, adding that the tourism industry is crucial for the EU in terms of creating jobs and boosting economic growth, especially given the region's debt crisis.
He said he will officially propose the new flexible visa policy in November, but he didn't reveal how flexible the rules will be, saying they are still under "study".
Tajani made the announcement as he wrapped up a two-day visit to Beijing, during which he led a 60-member delegation from Europe.
The delegation met government officials in China to discuss further bilateral cooperation.
Tourism is one of the main areas where he sees growing potential for cooperation. According to the China Tourism Academy, some 200 million Chinese nationals may travel abroad annually by 2020, up from 82 million in 2012.
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