China: investing and touristing in Europe

The aim of this article is to interface the development and evolution approach of the Chinese tourist movement to Europe with the necessity and urgent need for measurement, evaluation and preliminary studies, in order to prioritize the fact that tourism development in Europe to continue sustaining SDG achievement, and to strategically orient the best investment in the tourist supply. It is important to emphasize that this study is also an attempt of a critical analysis by using a qualitative methodology. This methodology is based on the international strategic documents of key tourism development policies, Europe and Chinese strategic investment documents in general. Based on the theory and principles of sustainable tourism development as well as international policies for the sustainable development in Europe through tourism, this article includes a guide with such targeted strategies and policies in order for Europe’s development to pursue its sustainability through tourism as a highly strategic sector, despite the massive growth that the Chinese boom could have in Europe. A panorama of the current situation and the changes in Europe’s decades-long journey (way of traveling) is given. It includes a review of all the policies aimed at Europe’s journey towards the sustainable development while trying to maximize revenue, output and level of employment that could happen from the China’s movement towards Europe.  This study ends by giving suggestions regarding the policies and strategic attitudes that Europe needs to take in consideration while keeping in mind China’s strategic investment in Europe to pursue sustainable development, as well as some suggestions for the Chinese boom to have its own impact in Europe.