The UK government recently announced a new fast-track visa application service allowing Chinese visitors to Europe to bypass additional visa applications to visit Britain, reports OPP Connect (18 June 2014). The news was announced during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's recent UK visit, intended to boost the country's trade and tourism from China. Andrew Taylor, co-CEO of Juwai.com shares with OPP Connect that the new process will make it easier for UK property investors from China. "The best estimate is that this visa change alone will inject an extra ï¿¡1billion per year into the British economy. That’s just the tourist spending," says Taylor. “Juwai.com’s data shows that increases in Chinese tourism lead directly to increases in property investment. UK agents who attend property expos in China always find the visa process a stumbling block that makes it harder to get prospects to the UK to see the property. This will make things easier." The China National Tourism Administration reports that 97 million Chinese travelled internationally in 2013, and the World Tourism Council notes that by 2024, Chinese travellers will spend US$283billion overseas.
