Serbia’s national airline has started flights to China’s Tianjin
By 2024, Chinese tourists to Europe recovered to approximately 5.8 million outbound visits, up sharply from the 2022-2023 lows, according to data cited on Chinese travel platforms and European tourism boards. Within Europe, the Balkans emerged as one of the fastest-growing destinations among Chinese independent travelers looking beyond Paris, Rome, and Barcelona. Serbia benefits from a dual advantage: it was one of the first European countries to grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens (since 2017), and it now has direct air connections to China. Air Serbia launched Belgrade-Tianjin service, while Hainan Airlines operated Beijing-Belgrade routes. President Aleksandar Vucic stated the goal directly: “We will draw many more tourists and businesspeople, and bring China closer to Serbia.”
The Air Connection That Changed Things
Air Serbia’s Belgrade-Tianjin route and Hainan Airlines’ Beijing-Belgrade service gave Serbia something most Balkan countries do not have: a direct flight from China. Tianjin is a port city south of Beijing that connects to the East China Sea and serves as a gateway for northern China. Air Serbia operates this route with its Airbus A330-200, and notably, Air Serbia is one of the few European carriers permitted to use Russian airspace, which shortens the flight path significantly compared to other European routes.
The Hainan Airlines inaugural flight from Beijing to Belgrade was welcomed by the Serbian president and Air Serbia’s CEO personally. China’s Ambassador to Serbia, Chen Bo, called it “a privilege to fly on the inaugural nonstop flight” and said the route would “strengthen Belgrade’s status as a regional center.”
Direct flight access is the first condition for meaningful Chinese tourist volumes. Serbia now has it. The marketing question is what to do with it.
Why Chinese Tourists Are Discovering the Balkans
Chinese outbound tourists between 25 and 40 years old increasingly look for destinations that offer something beyond the standard European circuit. They have been to Paris. They have done Rome. They want something they can post on Xiaohongshu that their followers have not seen yet. Serbia and the wider Balkans deliver exactly this.
The combination of medieval fortresses, unspoiled nature, low prices relative to Western Europe, and a food and wine culture that is genuinely different from France or Italy creates strong content opportunities for Chinese social media. Dubrovnik (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), and Belgrade’s fortress and nightlife scenes have all gained traction in Chinese travel circles in 2024-2025.
Serbia also has a specific relationship with China that goes beyond tourism. Chinese infrastructure investment through Belt and Road initiatives, free trade negotiations, and significant Chinese worker and business communities in Belgrade have created established networks that support tourism growth.
Serbia and Balkans Chinese Tourism: Key Facts
| Factor | Detail | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free for Chinese citizens | Since 2017 | One of first European countries to grant this |
| Direct flights to China | Air Serbia (Belgrade-Tianjin), Hainan (Beijing-Belgrade) | Eliminates the biggest practical barrier |
| Chinese Belt and Road investment in Serbia | Multiple infrastructure projects | Creates established Chinese business networks |
| Serbia-China free trade | In negotiation / agreed in principle | Deepens bilateral economic relationship |
| Chinese tourists to Europe (2024) | ~5.8 million | Strong recovery, still below 2019 peak of ~11M |
| Balkans as “off-the-beaten-path” Europe | Growing trend on Xiaohongshu (2023-2025) | Younger Chinese travelers actively seeking it |
How Airlines and Travel Brands Reach Chinese Consumers
The right approach for airlines or destinations targeting Chinese travelers is well-established. European airlines that have built genuine Chinese audiences include KLM, which used WeChat as its primary Chinese customer service tool and grew its WeChat account to 88,000 followers by responding consistently to Chinese customer inquiries. Emirates, Air France, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines all maintain Mandarin-language websites and WeChat customer service channels. Singapore Airlines runs an active Weibo account. Air New Zealand created a Youku video channel.
The pattern is consistent: Chinese-language website or mini-program, WeChat for customer service and promotions, Weibo or Xiaohongshu for brand building and content, Douyin for short video reach. Western social networks are blocked in China. Marketing campaigns aimed at Chinese travelers that run on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube generate zero results.
Reaching Chinese Tourists Planning Balkans/Serbia Travel on Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
1. Create “hidden gem Europe” content positioning Serbia and the Balkans. Chinese travelers who are experienced enough to look beyond Paris respond strongly to content framed as “the Europe most tourists miss.” Belgrade’s Kalemegdan fortress, the Tara mountain, and the Drina river house have all appeared in viral Xiaohongshu posts.
2. Publish practical visa and entry information clearly. Many Chinese travelers do not know Serbia is visa-free. A clear, practical post explaining this removes the first barrier and positions Serbia as an easy destination. This type of information post gets saved and shared in travel planning groups.
3. Feature the price advantage over Western Europe. A meal in Belgrade versus Paris, a hotel in Kotor versus Dubrovnik’s Croatian side, a week in the Balkans versus a week in Italy — cost comparison content resonates strongly with Chinese travelers who want a premium experience at a lower price.
4. Cover food and wine specifically. Serbian cuisine, rakija, and the wine regions of Fruska Gora and Negotin are genuinely unfamiliar to Chinese consumers. Posts that introduce these with context and enthusiasm perform well. Food is a primary search category for Chinese travel content.
5. Document the Chinese community in Belgrade. The presence of Chinese businesses, restaurants, and investment projects in Serbia provides a useful bridge for Chinese tourists who want the ease of familiarity while traveling independently. Content showing this connection builds confidence.
Reaching Chinese Tourists on Douyin
6. Aerial and landscape footage of the Balkans. The visual contrast between the Balkans and both China and Western Europe is a strong content asset. Short drone footage of the Drina valley, the Kotor bay, or the Danube gorge performs well in travel content feeds.
7. Show the direct flight option from China. A Douyin video documenting the actual Air Serbia or Hainan Airlines flight from China to Belgrade, with the arrival experience, removes an information barrier and adds excitement. This content is especially valuable for travelers who assumed direct access was not available.
8. Partner with Chinese travel creators doing “alternative Europe” content. Several Chinese Douyin creators specialize in off-the-beaten-path European destinations. Partnering with one for a Balkans trip creates immediate reach into an audience that is actively looking for these types of destinations.
9. Highlight the Belt and Road connection. For Chinese business travelers and educated tourists, the fact that China has invested heavily in Serbian infrastructure (Budapest-Belgrade railway, port investments, industrial parks) is a conversation starter and a reason to visit. This angle works particularly well on more text-heavy platforms like Zhihu.
Example Found on Chinese Web (Translated)
“I went to Serbia because I ran out of ideas for Europe. I had done France, Italy, Spain, Germany. A friend told me about the visa-free thing. We flew Belgrade direct from Beijing. Kalemegdan at sunset was one of the best things I’ve seen in Europe. Nobody from my circle had been. I posted 40 photos and got more messages than any trip I’ve taken to Western Europe.”
— Xiaohongshu post from a Beijing-based professional, 2024, describing a first trip to Serbia
FAQ
Can Chinese citizens visit Serbia without a visa?
Yes. Serbia has offered visa-free entry to Chinese citizens since 2017, making it one of the most accessible European destinations for Chinese travelers. No advance application needed.
Are there direct flights from China to Serbia?
Yes. Air Serbia operates Belgrade-Tianjin service, and Hainan Airlines has operated Beijing-Belgrade routes. Air Serbia uses its Airbus A330-200 for the China route and benefits from Russian airspace access, which shortens the flight significantly.
Why is Serbia growing as a Chinese tourist destination?
Visa-free access, direct flights, strong China-Serbia economic and diplomatic ties, low cost relative to Western Europe, and growing interest among Chinese independent travelers in off-the-beaten-path European destinations. The Balkans as a region fits the “new Europe” travel trend growing on Xiaohongshu.
How should a Balkans destination market itself to Chinese tourists?
Chinese-language website, WeChat service channel, active presence on Xiaohongshu and Douyin with specific cultural and practical content, presence on Ctrip and Fliggy, and partnerships with Chinese travel creators who cover European destinations.
We track Chinese outbound travel trends by destination on our LinkedIn page. Follow us for regular updates on where Chinese tourists are going next.
We Help Destinations Across Europe Attract Chinese Tourists
Serbia and the Balkans have everything they need to attract meaningful Chinese tourist volumes: direct flights, visa-free access, competitive pricing, and a genuinely fresh story for Chinese travelers who have exhausted Western Europe. The missing piece is execution on Chinese platforms. We have helped destinations in Eastern and Southern Europe build the content strategy, platform presence, and partnerships needed to move from “invisible to Chinese tourists” to “recommended by Chinese travel creators.” If your destination or travel business wants to reach this audience, let us show you what is possible.
Contact us to discuss your Chinese tourism strategy for the European market.
Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourist Agency, with 15 years of experience helping European and Asian destinations build effective marketing strategies for the Chinese outbound travel market.
