Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me Simon Calder. It's Friday the 30th of

January. And Thursday the 29th of January was really quite an exciting day for me because we learnt

that the tangled red tape for British visitors to China could be history,

and I got a tip off, this could happen as soon as next Monday the 2nd of February.

You perhaps will know that Downing Street announced on Thursday morning that Sarkier Stama had secured a deal on visa-free

travel to China for UK citizens. It's fair to say that actually the UK, as a modern Western

country, was a bit of an outlier. All the main European Union nations, as well as places like Australia and New Zealand,

were already visa-free for going to China. I managed to track down Wendy Wu. She is the founder,

you won't be surprised to learn, of Wendy Woon Tours, leading tour operator to China.

And she told me that indeed things are likely to move very fast.

She's very excited, as you will hear about the prospect.

For Wendy Wutors, this is the historical moment that we have been working for and waiting for

since 2005.

And Simon, in 2005, I started Windy Votos UK after the success in Australia and I started Windy Vu Tour's UK after the success in Australia,

and I started Windy VTools at this nation show here in London.

So now, 20 years, 21 years later, we got this news, the biggest news for today at the show and for the entire UK travel public.

That is, from now, Prime Minister Stemma has announced all the British people will be able to travel to China.

These are free!

These are free!

And now it's been announced and I just think all the people now,

not only saving costs, but in the past when you go to China, you have to do visa. And that is,

oh, so much work. We as a specialist, we hold you hand by hand, step by step.

...