Two tourists from UK pose for a photo at Zhangjiajie scenic spot in central China's Hunan Province, on Nov. 12, 2016. [Photo: zjjzx.cn]

By Sarah Dickens for Sino.uk

We have reported recently on the growth of travel from China to Europe, but a survey revealed in the Global Trends Report at the World Travel Market last week, that although 270,000 Chinese visitors came to the UK in 2015, more than twice that number (570,000) British nationals visited mainland China in the same year.

According to the report, more than half of firms selling holidays to China expect to do more business next year. In addition, a WTM London consumer survey, which questioned 1,145 UK holidaymakers, found that a fifth (21%) would be interested in visiting China in the future.

And meeting that increasing demand will be helped by the announcement last month, by UK Transport secretary Chris Grayling that limits on flights between the UK and China will be lifted to allow thousands more trips every year.

The limit of 40 flights per week has been increased to 100 and a restriction on the number of destinations that airlines can serve has also been lifted, meaning services can be operated between any point in the UK and any point in China.

Air links between the countries have already been boosted this year with new services being launched to major Chinese cities from Manchester and Gatwick.

Meanwhile, UK operators are offering more packages to China, giving Brits the confidence to see key highlights and enjoy the expanding numbers of resorts. All-inclusive resort specialist Club Med, which was bought by Chinese conglomerate Fosun last year, already has five resorts in China and is targeting 20 by 2020.