Chinese tourists to Serbia surge

BEIJING - More Chinese tourists are eyeing Serbia as a destination, according to figures revealed on Thursday at a Beijing tourism fair.

The number of Chinese visitors to Serbia grew 39 percent year-on-year in 2012. They stayed 2.8 nights on average, showed data from the Serbia Tourism Board made available at the China Outbound Tourism Market.

In recent years, the STB has adopted a series of measures to attract more Chinese travelers, such as simplifying visa procedures, enhancing cooperation with Chinese partners and strengthening training for Chinese-language guides.

The China Outbound Tourism Market was held in Beijing from April 9 to 11. Over 200 exhibitors from 60 nations took part.