The number of Chinese travellers is increasing in Europe and Germany, bringing opportunities and challenges for the tourism industry.
Chinese tourists are a rapidly growing target group for the European market and also for German destinations. However, visitors from China require a visa for entry, which will only be issued if their tour operator is listed on the "ADS list."
The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, MCT) publishes the current ADS lists – unfortunately only available in Chinese – on its website.
Background
Inclusion / Changes to the ADS list via the DIHK
The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) formerly published an "ADS list" that allowed businesses to register. The CNTA is now part of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT).
The published "ADS list" includes businesses participating in group travel organisation for Chinese nationals to the EU. This opens up new business opportunities for travel organisers, travel agencies, and other companies. How can a company be added to the list or modify individual entries? DIHK can help.
Requirements for new inclusion:
- The DIHK requires complete company data. Please use the registration form available for download below. This form must be fully completed and legally signed.
- You have proper business registration for your company.
- You are fully familiar with the memorandum and aware that non-compliance may have legal consequences.
- You are a tour operator, travel agency, or active in the incoming tourism sector.
Are you already registered and wish to make changes? Please also use the registration form linked below. Send the completed form – whether for initial registration or modifications – to Serena Fellwock.
Next steps
Once the DIHK receives your signed registration/modification form, your company contact data or modification requests will be added to the list and forwarded to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. From there, the ADS list is sent to the MCT.
The MCT reviews the data provided and publishes the current official ADS list of eligible businesses on the MCT website. Each business can verify whether the desired data is included in the published ADS list, confirming approval.
Dates for the next registration
The European Union has no fixed update schedule with the Chinese MCT. Currently, updates are expected twice annually – once in summer and once in winter. Specific dates remain unknown.
Helpful Links
Who can assist further with China tourism? Here are some useful sources of information and contacts.
The first point of contact for questions concerning China tourism is the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
For general questions about the China location, the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad in China – Beijing is available.
Further information on accessing the Chinese market is also provided by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), which maintains offices in Beijing and Hong Kong. Data, figures, and background information can be found in market information from GNTB, which is also available for China.
- Relevant in topic:
- Serviceportal
Ansprechpartnerin
Julia Seibert
Director Tourism Economy and Tourism Policy