A visa application center for France, the Netherlands, and Cyprus in Hangzhou. [Photo/Tide News]

As the visa application center for France, the Netherlands, and Cyprus officially reopened in Hangzhou on Feb 29, local residents and tourists can now easily have their fingerprints recorded and apply for visas right at their doorstep.

A travel industry professional engaged in outbound tourism said, "Because obtaining a French visa requires the individual to have their fingerprints recorded, without these application centers, tourists would have to incur the expense of traveling to Shanghai, taking up almost half a day."

He believes that this development will significantly stimulate the increase in outbound travel orders for travel agencies.

A post-90s generation resident surnamed Zhu, has already scheduled his first trip of the year to France.

"On Feb 20, I consulted a travel agency, and they helped me schedule the visa application for April 8, right here in Hangzhou," Zhu said. He mentioned that when he was planning his trip earlier, he only knew that he would have to go to Shanghai for the visa application. Having this service suddenly available at his doorstep came as a pleasant surprise.

According to official statistics, from the Feb 9 to March 1st, the number of outbound travelers from Hangzhou has reached nearly 300,000, with over 1,900 flights, primarily concentrated in Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea.