Chinese tourists are in love with Serbia

Serbia is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets for Chinese tourists, and it is not staying secret for much longer. From 2012 to 2019, the number of Chinese visitors to Serbia grew 30-fold. In early 2019, Chinese tourists made up over 92,000 of Serbia’s 1.2 million international visitors. In 2024, numbers are climbing again as more Chinese travelers look beyond the standard European circuit of Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam.

Why Chinese tourists love Serbia

1. Visa-free entry: In 2017, Serbia became the first European country to eliminate visa requirements for Chinese citizens. That single policy change transformed the country’s appeal. Chinese travelers can book, fly, and explore without paperwork barriers. This is a genuine competitive advantage over most of Western Europe.
2. Affordability: Serbia costs significantly less than Paris, Rome, or Zurich. Chinese travelers who want a European experience without European prices find Serbia genuinely attractive. The value-for-money equation here is excellent.
3. Gate to the Balkans: Serbia is the starting point for Chinese travelers exploring Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, and Croatia. The surrounding countries have also relaxed entry for Chinese nationals, making a Balkan multi-country circuit very easy to build.
4. Cultural experiences that stand out: In the western Serbian village of Gostoljublje, a Serbian wedding experience hosted by local entrepreneur Zeljko Sredic has become one of the most-reviewed Chinese tourism experiences in the country. Chinese visitors dress in traditional Serbian costumes, participate in local customs like shooting an apple and mock bride-price negotiations, eat traditional food, and dance. Buses of tourists from Shanghai regularly make the trip. This is exactly the kind of authentic, shareable experience that Xiaohongshu was built for.
5. Historic sites: Belgrade’s Kalemegdan Fortress, the Nikola Tesla Museum, and the Zlatibor mountain region give Chinese cultural travelers real substance to explore.
6. Warm welcome: Belgrade has deployed Chinese-speaking police in the tourist areas during peak summer season to assist Chinese visitors directly. Mandarin road signs appear in key tourist zones. These are real signals that Serbia takes this market seriously.
7. Direct flights: Regular direct connections between Belgrade and Beijing and Tianjin make the logistics straightforward, removing one of the main frictions for long-haul Chinese travelers.

Serbia and China: a strong partnership

The connection goes beyond tourism. China has invested heavily in Serbian infrastructure: bridges, highways, industrial facilities. The political relationship is warm and visible. For Chinese tourists, Serbia genuinely feels like a friendly country in a way that some Western European destinations do not. That sense of welcome matters when people are choosing where to spend their holiday.

Tourism to Serbia generated 1.5 billion euros in revenue in 2024, contributing more than 3% of GDP. Chinese tourists, with their above-average spend on accommodation and unique experiences, are an increasingly important part of that number.

Source: Xinhua News Agency 2024 coverage of Serbian-Chinese tourism cooperation, confirming the continued growth of Chinese visitor numbers following visa-free access and new direct flights.

Source: Mafengwo.cn 2024 destination data shows Serbia ranking in the top 5 most-searched non-mainstream European destinations for Chinese travelers, with Belgrade and the Serbian wedding experience among the top-reviewed activities on the platform.

5 ways Serbian tourism businesses can reach more Chinese travelers

1. Douyin content: Serbia’s castles, mountains, river scenery, and cultural experiences translate perfectly to short video. Post consistently, add Chinese captions, and partner with a Chinese travel KOL for one hosted visit. A single strong Douyin video can bring inquiries for months.
2. Xiaohongshu presence: The Serbian wedding experience in Gostoljublje already has strong organic coverage on Xiaohongshu from Chinese visitors who shared their experience. Build on that. Create an official profile, respond to reviews in Mandarin, and post your own content regularly.
3. Baidu SEO: When Chinese travelers search for Belgrade hotels, Balkan tours, or Serbia travel tips on Baidu, you want to appear. A Mandarin website with Baidu-optimized content puts you in front of travelers at the research stage, before they ever open Ctrip.
4. List on Mafengwo and Ctrip: These platforms are where Chinese travelers research and book. Claim your listing, make sure it has complete Mandarin content, and actively manage your reviews. Mafengwo in particular has strong community content around Serbia already. Use it.
5. B2B partnerships with Chinese travel agencies: Chinese group tours to Serbia come through travel agencies. Develop Mandarin-language group packages with clear pricing and itineraries, and attend China-facing travel trade shows or connect through Chinese online platforms for B2B outreach.

Why Your Chinese Digital Presence Matters

Serbia has something genuinely special for Chinese tourists: visa-free entry, authenticity, affordability, and experiences that are shareable and different from the standard European tour. But none of that works if Chinese travelers cannot find you online. Here is what the full presence looks like:

• Chinese website with ICP license: A Mandarin site hosted on Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud that loads fast in China. This is your foundation for Baidu visibility.
• Douyin: The main discovery channel. Serbian cultural and natural experiences perform very well in short-video format.
• Xiaohongshu (XHS/RED): Trust-building platform. The Serbian wedding experience alone has generated strong organic Xiaohongshu content. Build on what is already working.
• Baidu SEO and PPC: Appear when Chinese travelers search for Serbia travel information on China’s dominant search engine.
• WeChat: Direct communication and loyalty. Build a relationship with your Chinese guests that brings them back and generates referrals.

Our team helps tourism businesses across Eastern Europe build their Chinese digital presence: our services, Xiaohongshu marketing, WeChat marketing.

FAQ

Why do Chinese tourists visit Serbia?

Three things drive Chinese interest in Serbia: visa-free access, affordability compared to Western Europe, and the country’s position as a starting point for wider Balkan travel. Add authentic cultural experiences like traditional Serbian weddings, historic sites like Kalemegdan Fortress, and spa towns like Sokobanja, and you have a destination that genuinely delivers for Chinese travelers seeking something beyond the standard European circuit. The warm political relationship between China and Serbia also helps. Chinese visitors feel genuinely welcome here.

How fast is Chinese tourism to Serbia growing?

From 2012 to 2019, Chinese visitor numbers in Serbia grew 30-fold. After pandemic disruptions, the market recovered through 2023-2024 with Chinese tourist numbers climbing again. Visa-free access, strong bilateral relations, and growing Xiaohongshu and Mafengwo content about Serbia are all driving renewed interest. The trajectory is positive, and the country has made genuine infrastructure investments to support continued growth in international tourism revenue.

What experiences do Chinese tourists enjoy most in Serbia?

The traditional Serbian wedding experience in western Serbia is one of the most-reviewed Chinese tourism experiences in the country on Mafengwo and Xiaohongshu. Belgrade’s historic sites, the Zlatibor mountain area, spa towns like Sokobanja, and Serbian food and wine experiences also feature heavily in Chinese travel reviews. Chinese tourists appreciate the authenticity and the sense that they are discovering somewhere genuinely different, not just following a well-worn tourist path.

How can a Serbian hotel or tour operator attract more Chinese bookings?

Start with the platforms Chinese travelers actually use. Create a Xiaohongshu profile and encourage every Chinese guest to leave a review. Build Douyin content showing your best experiences. List on Ctrip and Mafengwo with complete Mandarin content and actively manage your reviews. Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. And make sure you are visible on Baidu when travelers search for Serbia travel information. If you want professional help building all of this, our team at Chinese Tourist Agency specializes in exactly this for tourism businesses in emerging European destinations.

Serbia’s moment with Chinese tourists is now

Thirty-fold growth before the pandemic. Steady recovery since. Visa-free access that no competitor in Western Europe can match. Authentic experiences that Chinese travelers actively seek and share on Xiaohongshu. Serbia has a real advantage in the Chinese outbound tourism market. The tourism operators who build their Chinese digital presence now will be the ones filling their rooms and tour buses in 2026. Visit our services page and let’s build your China strategy together.

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Marcus Zhan is a digital strategist at GMA with over 10 years of experience helping international brands grow in China. He specializes in Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Chinese SEO.