(Yicai) July 23 -- China has received large crowds of European tourists this summer season, as they escape the torrid heat in search of cooler regions, such as southwestern Yunnan province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

European nations accounted for 30 percent of China’s top 20 sources of foreign visitors this summer, with tourist orders up 275 percent compared with last year, according to statistics from Trip.Com. Russia accounted for 54 percent of the orders, and Western European countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, made up nearly 42 percent.

Since July, the booking popularity of flights to China from European cities including Edinburgh, Barcelona, and London has surged over 20 percent from a month earlier, data from Tongcheng Travel’s international travel site HopeGoo showed. The booking popularity for some routes from the UK to major Chinese cities has surged over 80 percent from a year ago.

An Italian tourist told Yicai that he had originally planned to visit China in September, but given the incredibly high temperatures in Rome, he and his family rescheduled the trip to July, booking their holiday to Guilin, Yangshuo, and Longji Rice Terraces in Guangxi through an online travel agency.

There were heatstroke prevention facilities throughout the journey, such as sunshades installed in many places and chilled drinks available for sale at mountain rest stations, the Italian tourist explained.

A French visitor picked Yunnan and Guizhou provinces for his summer trip to China, as local temperatures are around 25° Celsius. He booked through online travel agencies that offered services in the French language.

China’s facilities for escaping the heat are ample, with strong air conditioning, numerous sunshades, and convenient access to drinking water, the French tourist noted, adding that he would recommend friends to travel to China in the summer to experience the distinctly different scenery and travel convenience.

The large number of European tourists also brings about some challenges. Chinese merchants said they have to invest much time in explanations and guidance because foreign visitors are unfamiliar with local history and attractions. Moreover, they get easily lost due to language barriers, so merchants need to provide travel reminders.

Editor: Futura Costaglione