00:00Well, Simon Calder is a travel broadcaster and commentator.
00:04I think pretty swiftly a lot of people, particularly younger independent travellers from both the UK and actually from Canada,
00:13which has got the same concession, will be thinking, I want to go there now.
00:19Because while backpacking, of course, in Asia has always been very popular,
00:24the additional visa requirements for China simply means that a lot of people have concentrated on maybe Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia,
00:33particularly Thailand and destinations like that.
00:37I think now we will see a vast amount of interest from younger independent travellers who tend to go for
00:43longer.
00:44And I think that is really good for both the travellers themselves and also for China,
00:50where the market for British and Canadian people tends to be older, people on organised trips.
00:57Of course, China is such a huge country.
01:00It's a disparate weather, disparate food, very, very different from north to south.
01:05Where do you see people going to in China?
01:08Where do you think the hotspots will be?
01:10Well, initially, we will see people go to the great cities of Beijing and in particular, I think, Shanghai,
01:16which is simply one of the greatest cities in the world.
01:20Of course, Xi Yan and the opportunity to see the terracotta warriors will be absolutely at the top of the
01:27list for a lot of people.
01:28But then I think with extra time, with flexibility that independent travellers have,
01:34there will be a great deal of interest in maybe Guilin in the south, fascinating backpacker territory there,
01:40and also places like seaside resorts, Qingdao, for example, which I think is very rewarding.
01:47I'm also interested to see how the British will take to Hainan Island, of course, a big resort area,
01:54and it will be interesting to see if people think, yeah, I'm actually going to build in a bit of
01:59relaxing time on this holiday island,
02:02as well as travelling the length and breadth of the republic.
02:06And, of course, you've got the north of the country.
02:08You've got Harbin, where you've got the Ice Festival, sort of Christmas time around this time,
02:13which is an amazing festival.
02:15So there's all sorts of opportunities in the north as well, isn't there?
02:18Yes, and, of course, linking the country, there's a vast number of flights, of course,
02:24but also an increasingly impressive railway network.
02:28So, yes, getting around, I think, is going to be part of the joy of exploring travel, exploring China.
02:36I've been lucky enough to be travelling to the People's Republic since the early 1980s,
02:41and it will be a very different experience when I return there, actually, next week to try out the new
02:48visa-free rules.
02:49So where are you going? Where's your first stop under this visa-free rule?
02:52I'm heading, first of all, to Chengdu in the west of the country,
02:57because it's simply a place where I haven't been before.
03:00I'm really thrilled at the opportunity of just stepping off the aircraft,
03:04showing them my British passport, and being able to walk in and enjoy everything that that part of China has
03:10to offer.
03:11Absolutely, and amazing pandas there, too.
03:13Well, that's part of my plan, but, of course, exploring the cities, the countryside,
03:18is all part of the enjoyment, as well, I must say, as eating the food.
Comments