CRI听力:UK's Travel Industry Welcomes New Visa Measures for Chinese Tourists

The new policy is seen as the latest move by the UK to win a slice of China's high spending outbound tourism market - the biggest in the world.

Patricia Yates is the Strategy Director of VisitBritain, a non-departmental public body funded by the UK's Department for Culture, Media & Sport.

"Hugely welcoming that. That is a real step forward. It enables us to compete. Our visa is part of our offer to the Chinese visitors."

According to her agency, the number of Chinese tourists to Britain in the first half of 2015 reached a record 90,000, up 28 percent from 2014. And the yearly number is expected to reach more than 200,000.

More and more British retailers are tapping into Chinese tourism as a great business opportunity by making full use of Chinese holidays.

Being the homeland of literary giant William Shakespeare and the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, the European country's varied history, sophisticated culture, and beautiful landscapes also appeal to the Chinese people.

"Yeah .. I like the cultural relics, very much."

"A yeah … Harry Potter, I'm a fan of that. And Shakespeare…Shakespeare."

"I am so influenced by English culture, a lot, yeah."

"We love the culture and the architecture and the art."

Britain claims the number of tourists who feel welcome has more than doubled in the last five years.

And Yates says they're hoping that this, coupled with a bumper two-year multi entry visa, will make the UK appear very approachable for Chinese tourists.

"It's the growth of the Chinese market in itself, where it's already the world's biggest outbound market. So, yes we want to compete there."

Tourism is Britain's 7th largest industry, estimated to be worth around 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.

For CRI, this is Min Rui.