A partial relaxation of tough UK rules on visas for Chinese travellers is expected to be confirmed today (Friday).
Home secretary Theresa May is to announce that visitors from China can use the European Schengen visa when changing aircraft at UK airports, the Telegraph reported.
Currently, Chinese tourists travelling to Europe who have connecting flights at British airports must obtain an expensive UK visa even though they often do not leave the terminal building.
This comes on top of the Schengen visas, which give Chinese tourists access to 26 countries in Europe but not the UK. Chinese visitors to Britain are also required to have their fingerprints taken.
But British Airways owner International Airlines Group argues that new measures do not go far enough, and would not significantly close the gap between the 291,919 UK visas and 1.4 million Schengen visas approved last year.
“It is a fact that today other European countries get five times the number of Chinese visitors than the UK,” IAG said.
“These changes are welcome but do not deliver the step change we need. Don’t think our competitors in Europe are standing still – they are improving their systems too and are already miles ahead.”
Improvements to the visa system announced in June failed to satisfy business leaders, who claimed the government was tinkering “at the borders”.
May extended a pilot scheme that allowed certain Chinese tour operators to use the Schengen form to also apply for UK visas, and also agreed that Chinese visitors who have secured a visa for Ireland will be allowed to visit the UK without going through a second application process. A 24-hour processing service has also been launched.
The government said that previous improvements to the UK visa system for Chinese visitors had led to a 40% increase in visitor numbers last year and June’s changes would make it “easier than ever before to visit the UK”.