BRUSSELS - For Dutch traveler Sebastian Behringer, China opened up with a click -- no visa lines, no paperwork, just a last-minute decision and a flight. What he found was a country where ancient temples meet cashless cafes, and tradition walks hand in hand with tech.

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With the arrival of Europe's May holiday season, growing numbers of European tourists are eyeing China as a preferred long-haul destination, driven by positive experiences shared by recent visitors, streamlined visa policies, and China's well-developed travel infrastructure.

China's enhanced visa facilitation, including extended visa-free stays of up to 30 days for many European nationals and a 240-hour transit exemption policy, has greatly boosted this rising interest.

"We now have 12 tour groups travelling in China," said Ewa Gajewska, a project manager with CT Poland, a Polish travel agency specializing in China tours for 25 years. To accommodate heightened demand during Poland's peak travel period in May, the agency has added extra departures.

Returning travelers increasingly seek to explore beyond China's renowned attractions, venturing into lesser-known but captivating regions such as Yunnan and Guizhou. "Clients didn't expect China to be so big, so beautiful, so modern, colorful and interesting," she told Xinhua on Wednesday.

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This enthusiasm resonates among European travel agencies. Vera Nebel, Asia product manager of Germany's Ikarus Tours travel agency, noted many first-time visitors initially target iconic sites like Beijing and Xi'an's Terracotta Army but quickly expand their itineraries to include such places as Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin's picturesque rice terraces.

"Our returning customers' feedback is that China is quite a friendly and efficient country," Nebel said, highlighting the positive impression left by China's reliable transport infrastructure and hospitality.

Former Croatian deputy speaker Davorko Vidovic, who has visited China six times, highlighted the country's rapid modernization as a defining feature of his travels. He pointed to the experience of riding a high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai -- nearly 400 kilometers per hour -- as a striking symbol of China's technological advancement. "You cannot see all that speed, that progress anywhere else in the world," he said.

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Veteran Dutch tour guide Tom Lops, who has been to China over 30 times, highlighted digital payments, shared bikes, and high-speed trains as transformative conveniences for new visitors.

"For a new traveler to China, I would advise everything on zero," he said. "Think basically, and let yourself be surprised by all the new impressions you will have in this country."

While infrastructure enhances the travel experience, many Europeans value China's deep cultural heritage even more.

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Romanian tour guide Paula Toma, who visited China twice in 2024, described it as a country "where traditional culture harmoniously coexists with rapid modernization," pointing to the visible ecological commitment and technological innovation in daily life.

Latvian agency manager Alesya Plyavina observed that clients returning from other Asian destinations consistently found China's tour offerings "more engaging and diverse."

Individual travelers echo this appreciation for storytelling and nuance. Romanian tourist Raluca Costica said she was "surprised that you can take a small thing and turn it into a big story," highlighting the power of Chinese handcrafts and costumes to reveal deeper cultural meaning.

Nature also leaves lasting impressions on travelers. Marketing director Adam Lamberd of Austrian travel company Austro Inter said: "With its visa-free policies, China is becoming a destination that more and more tourists yearn for -- a place with profound historical heritage and magnificent natural scenery."

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As tour operators gear up for a packed summer season, many are already seeing early bookings for autumn and even year-end trips.

"Almost every group this year has been full, with 26 tourists plus a tour leader," Gajewska told Xinhua.