Spain, Switzerland and More Nations Win Back Chinese Tourists with New Railway Experiences

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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August 30, 2026 3:24 AM |

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Spain, Switzerland and more nations are winning back Chinese tourists with new railway experiences, as faster trains, scenic routes and smarter booking options reshape Europe’s tourism appeal.

European railway tourism is attracting Chinese travellers with scenic journeys, high-speed connections, multi-country itineraries, cultural experiences and China-friendly digital booking services across Switzerland, Spain, Italy and beyond.

Spain, Switzerland and more nations are winning back Chinese tourists as railway experiences become a powerful new reason to explore Europe. Meanwhile, new rail products are changing how visitors move between famous cities and lesser-known destinations. Spain is promoting high-speed connections beyond Madrid and Barcelona, while Switzerland continues to make scenic rail journeys a central part of its tourism offer.

In addition, France, Italy, Germany and Austria are strengthening their appeal through extensive networks, cultural routes and memorable landscapes. As Chinese travellers increasingly seek flexible, experience-rich holidays, railway tourism is becoming a sharper and more compelling part of Europe’s China-market strategy.

Europe is increasingly presenting railway travel as part of the tourism experience for Chinese visitors, with countries including Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Czechia and the UK strengthening rail access, digital distribution and destination marketing for the China market.

The opportunity is significant because Chinese travellers are returning to Europe while showing growing interest in independent travel, culture, nature, food, wellness and multi-city experiences, creating strong conditions for railway-led tourism across the continent. Rail Europe’s Chinese-language WeChat Mini Program, launched in 2024 with access to European train tickets and rail passes, has further reduced language, payment and booking barriers for Chinese travellers.

Why European railway tourism matters to China

Chinese outbound tourism is becoming increasingly important for European destinations, but the product being marketed is changing from a traditional city-by-city sightseeing holiday towards more flexible and experience-led travel. Germany Tourism, for example, says Chinese visitors are showing stronger interest in sustainability, culture, authenticity, independent travel and smaller groups rather than the rapid multi-destination tours associated with earlier travel patterns.

That shift creates an obvious opening for railway tourism, because trains can connect major cities with cultural attractions, scenic landscapes, shopping districts and regional destinations without requiring travellers to repeatedly use domestic flights. The commercial opportunity is also broader than selling tickets, because rail can support hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping, guided tours and other tourism businesses along the route.

Spain: High-speed rail becomes a China-market tourism product

Spain has one of the clearest examples of railway tourism being integrated with Chinese travel demand, with Renfe working with Trip.com Group to distribute its rail products through Trip.com, Skyscanner and Qunar. Renfe said the partnership was designed to attract Asian and Chinese travellers and highlighted the breadth of its high-speed network, destination coverage and onboard and station services.

Spain’s proposition is particularly suitable for Chinese visitors who want to combine several destinations within one holiday, because Renfe’s network links Madrid with Barcelona, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga, Valencia, Alicante and other cities while the Spain Rail Pass allows non-residents to organise multiple journeys. The railway therefore becomes part of the wider tourism experience, allowing visitors to build itineraries around heritage, gastronomy, beaches, shopping, art and regional culture.

The interview with Sofia, International Sales Manager at Iryo, supplied for this report reinforces that direction, as she described the company’s efforts to build its China market through WeChat and encourage visitors to explore destinations beyond the traditional Madrid and Barcelona circuit. Iryo’s positioning around newer trains, comfort, onboard gastronomy and additional Spanish destinations shows how private railway operators are increasingly selling the journey itself as part of tourism.

Iryo Targets China Market With WeChat Push as Spain’s Private High-Speed Rail Expands Beyond Madrid and Barcelona

Spain’s private high-speed rail operator Iryo is stepping up its efforts in the Chinese travel market, using WeChat and an expanding Spanish network to make rail travel part of the destination experience.

Speaking at ITB China, Sofia, Iryo’s International Sales Manager, outlined the company’s approach to Chinese travellers and highlighted its focus on newer destinations, onboard comfort and a more integrated travel experience.

Iryo entered Spain’s high-speed rail market relatively recently and currently connects 12 destinations, according to Sofia. The company positions itself as Spain’s first private railway enterprise and is competing alongside the country’s other high-speed rail operators.

Iryo sees China as an important growth market

For Iryo, China is still a relatively new market. Sofia said the company had opened the Chinese market only a few months before its appearance at ITB China, making the event an important opportunity to introduce the brand directly to Chinese travel professionals and consumers.

The company has also developed a mini programme on WeChat, reflecting the importance of providing Chinese travellers with familiar digital tools.

Sofia said having access to information and services in Chinese, together with the ability to use local currency, is important for the Chinese community when planning and undertaking travel.

The company’s physical presence at ITB China is part of the same strategy: building awareness of Iryo and explaining its product directly to the market.

Beyond Madrid and Barcelona

A central part of Iryo’s strategy is encouraging travellers to explore more of Spain by rail.

Rather than concentrating only on the country’s best-known city pairings, the company is promoting journeys that connect travellers with additional Spanish destinations.

Sofia highlighted destinations including Seville, Córdoba and Alicante, alongside Madrid and Barcelona. The objective, she explained, is to help visitors discover more of Spain while travelling between cities.

For international visitors, high-speed rail can therefore become more than a means of getting from one destination to another. Iryo’s positioning focuses on the journey itself as part of the overall travel experience.

New destinations remain part of Iryo’s strategy

Sofia said Iryo aims to introduce new destinations in Spain each year, allowing travellers to discover places beyond the traditional tourism circuit.

That approach is particularly relevant to long-haul markets such as China, where travellers may combine several Spanish cities within a single itinerary.

By expanding the range of destinations accessible through its network, Iryo is seeking to support more varied Spain itineraries rather than limiting rail travel to the country’s two biggest tourism gateways.

Iryo highlights newer trains and onboard experience

Competition is another important element of Iryo’s market proposition.

Sofia noted that there are currently three railway operators running high-speed services in Spain and presented Iryo’s newer trains as one of the company’s distinguishing features.

She also highlighted sustainability, saying the trains are 94% recyclable.

Comfort is another major selling point. Sofia specifically referred to Iryo’s Infinite service and its onboard bistro concept, which includes gastronomy as part of the service.

According to her, passengers can choose what they want to eat and drink, making the onboard experience part of the product rather than simply an add-on to the journey.

China becomes an important part of Iryo’s international strategy

Iryo’s presence at ITB China signals a broader effort to build its profile among Chinese travellers and the travel trade.

The company’s relatively recent entry into the Spanish market means that international brand awareness remains an important priority. Its focus on WeChat, localised communication and direct engagement at trade events reflects an attempt to make the service easier for Chinese travellers to understand and access.

At the same time, Iryo is using Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network to promote a broader style of travel: visiting multiple cities while treating the journey between them as part of the holiday.

For Chinese visitors looking beyond Madrid and Barcelona, that proposition could provide another way to experience Spain — combining intercity mobility with comfort, food and access to a wider range of destinations.

Switzerland: Rail is already a destination experience

Switzerland arguably provides Europe’s strongest example of railway tourism being packaged as a complete visitor experience, with the Swiss Travel Pass covering trains, buses and boats while also providing access to panoramic railway experiences and benefits linked to museums and mountain excursions. Switzerland Tourism says the pass can be used for travel across more than 90 towns and cities, with access to premium panoramic trains and more than 500 museums.

The China-market strategy is equally important because digital accessibility can determine whether a visitor completes a booking, and Switzerland has become a notable example of adapting railway services for Chinese users. Research published by Austria Tourism on Switzerland’s SBB case says its Chinese WeChat Mini Program addressed language and payment barriers and reported substantial growth in revenue and users from Chinese customers.

Germany: A major Chinese market meets a powerful rail network

Germany combines a substantial Chinese tourism market with one of Europe’s most extensive railway systems, creating strong potential for rail-based multi-city tourism. Germany Tourism reports that Chinese visitors increasingly favour independent or smaller-group travel, while multi-destination tours and city visits remain significant components of the market.

The country’s leading destinations also fit naturally into railway itineraries, with Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne and Düsseldorf among the most important cities for Chinese visitors. Deutsche Bahn’s participation in Rail Europe’s Chinese WeChat booking platform also places German rail products inside a wider China-focused European distribution system.

France: High-value tourism meets high-speed connectivity

France has a particularly large Chinese tourism opportunity, with Atout France reporting that around 1.5 million Chinese visitors travelled to France in 2025. The organisation says Chinese outbound travel reached 167.5 million trips in 2025 and highlights growing demand for premium experiences, independent travel, smaller groups, wine tourism, golf and skiing.

France’s extensive rail network gives those visitors a practical way to move beyond Paris and reach major tourism regions, while international high-speed services also connect France with neighbouring European destinations. For Chinese travellers planning longer European holidays, France can therefore function both as a destination and as a railway gateway into wider European tourism.

Italy: Art cities create a natural rail itinerary

Italy is seeing strong Chinese tourism recovery, with ENIT reporting around 176,000 Chinese visitors in 2024, up 24.7% from 2023, alongside 2.4 million overnight stays and €226.6 million in spending. ENIT also found that Chinese holidaymakers strongly favour cultural tourism, with 70% choosing art cities and destinations including Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Puglia, Sicily and the Dolomites featuring prominently in demand.

That destination spread creates an obvious role for rail, particularly for itineraries linking northern and central Italian cities with high-speed services, while tourism operators can combine railway journeys with food, wine, shopping, luxury, wellness and cultural experiences. ENIT’s presence at ITB China alongside Trenitalia also demonstrates that railway interests are being integrated into Italy’s broader China-market tourism strategy.

Austria: Chinese demand shifts towards experiences

Austria is targeting Chinese visitors through a broader digital tourism strategy that includes WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Douyin and Trip.com, while its tourism organisation says China remains a strategically important Asian source market. Austria Tourism reported a 100.6% increase in Chinese overnight stays between May and June 2024 compared with the previous year and identified growing interest in nature, outdoor activities, family travel, cities and culture.

Rail fits this product mix because Austria can combine Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and other destinations with Alpine scenery, cultural attractions and seasonal experiences, allowing visitors to turn transportation into part of their holiday. The country’s China strategy also shows why digital marketing matters, because Chinese travellers increasingly discover and evaluate tourism products through platforms that differ from those used in European domestic markets.

Czechia: Prague can become a Central European rail gateway

Czechia has another useful opportunity because Prague can function as both a destination and a gateway to Central European tourism. The country has been rebuilding its Chinese tourism market through trade engagement and destination promotion, while its international rail connections can support itineraries that continue into Germany, Austria, Hungary and other European markets.

For Chinese travellers, that creates the possibility of combining Prague with Vienna, Budapest and Berlin rather than treating each city as a separate trip requiring another flight. The wider European rail ecosystem is making this model easier to sell, because Rail Europe’s China platform includes multiple operators and provides point-to-point tickets as well as rail passes.

United Kingdom: Rail can connect Britain with continental Europe

The United Kingdom remains an important Chinese tourism market, with VisitBritain recording 463,000 visits from China in 2024 and £723.8 million in visitor spending. Chinese visitors also spend significant time outside London, with 64% of nights in Britain recorded outside the capital, creating a clear opportunity for regional tourism supported by rail.

The UK’s connection to European railway tourism is strengthened by Eurostar, which is included within Rail Europe’s Chinese WeChat booking ecosystem alongside Renfe, Deutsche Bahn and Eurail. This gives Chinese travellers a potential route from London into a wider European tourism itinerary while allowing Britain to participate in the continent’s growing rail distribution network.

The digital race behind railway tourism

The most important development may not be a new train route, but the creation of easier ways for Chinese travellers to discover, purchase and manage European railway journeys. Rail Europe’s Chinese WeChat Mini Program offers Chinese-language booking, real-time schedules and pricing, RMB payment through WeChat Pay, paperless mobile tickets and Chinese-language customer service.

Its partnerships with Eurail, Eurostar, Deutsche Bahn and Renfe, together with a China-focused collaboration with Switzerland Tourism and Swiss Travel System, show how railway tourism is becoming increasingly connected across national borders. The strategy also reflects a broader reality in international tourism: destinations must make the entire customer journey easier, from inspiration and booking to payment, navigation and travel support.

What Chinese tourists can increasingly buy

The European railway tourism proposition can be divided into several clear products:

• High-speed city travel: Madrid–Barcelona, Paris–Lyon and other major corridors.
• Scenic rail tourism: Swiss panoramic routes and Alpine journeys.
• Multi-country rail holidays: France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechia and Italy.
• Rail passes: Flexible products allowing visitors to make several journeys.
• Rail-and-air combinations: Integrated journeys linking international flights with domestic trains.
• Experience-led travel: Food, wine, shopping, culture, wellness, mountains and heritage linked to railway routes.

This diversification matters because Chinese tourism demand is no longer defined by one type of traveller, and European destinations are increasingly competing for independent visitors, families, luxury customers, young travellers and small groups. The countries best positioned to capture that demand are those that combine attractive destinations with easy railway access and China-specific digital distribution.

Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World says, “European railway tourism is becoming one of the most compelling opportunities in the China travel market because it connects mobility with discovery, comfort and destination diversity. Chinese travellers can now look beyond conventional city breaks and experience several regions through one connected journey. Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy demonstrate different models, from high-speed networks to scenic rail experiences and digital booking platforms. The real opportunity is to make every stage of travel simple, culturally relevant and digitally accessible. As tourism demand evolves, rail can help European destinations distribute visitors more widely, encourage longer stays and create richer connections between cities, landscapes, attractions, hotels, restaurants and local tourism economies.”

The cause is clear: Chinese tourists are increasingly seeking flexible, authentic and experience-led travel across Europe. The answer is railway tourism, which connects major cities, regional destinations, cultural attractions and spectacular landscapes within one journey. Spain offers high-speed discovery, Switzerland delivers scenic mountain experiences, while Italy, France, Germany and Austria add distinct cultural and geographical appeal. The reason this matters is simple: trains can turn transportation into part of the holiday while helping destinations distribute visitors beyond crowded gateways. At the same time, Chinese-language digital booking, local payment options and multi-country rail products are making European railway experiences easier to discover and purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which European country has the strongest railway tourism proposition for Chinese travellers?

Switzerland stands out because rail is integrated directly into its tourism proposition through the Swiss Travel Pass, panoramic trains, mountain excursions and public transport. Its China-focused digital approach, including Chinese-language SBB services, also addresses practical booking barriers.

Is Spain actively targeting Chinese tourists through railway travel?

Yes, Renfe has partnered with Trip.com Group to distribute its rail products through major Chinese-linked travel platforms, while Spain also offers a rail pass for non-residents. Iryo is separately developing its China-market presence through WeChat and promoting travel beyond Madrid and Barcelona.

Why is rail attractive for Chinese tourism?

Rail allows visitors to connect several destinations within one holiday while combining mobility with culture, scenery, food, shopping and regional experiences. It can also reduce the need for repeated short-haul flights and support longer, more varied tourism itineraries.

Which European countries are best suited to multi-country rail holidays?

France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Italy and the UK can all participate in multi-country rail itineraries, depending on the route and border connections. Rail Europe’s China-focused platform brings several major operators and rail-pass products together, making cross-border planning more accessible.

What is changing in Chinese travel behaviour?

European tourism organisations increasingly report stronger interest in independent travel, smaller groups, authenticity, culture, nature and higher-value experiences. Germany and France have both highlighted these changes, while Austria reports growing Chinese interest in nature, outdoor activities, family travel, cities and culture.

Is European railway tourism only about high-speed trains?

No, and the distinction is important because scenic and experience-led railway products can be equally valuable. Switzerland demonstrates this particularly well, combining ordinary public transport with panoramic trains, mountain excursions, museums and lake travel within its visitor proposition.