Many countries which are the destinations of Chinese tourists, especially in Asia and Oceania, are adjusting to the needs of their foreign guests by hiring Chinese-speaking employees. As more Chinese become wealthier, many are traveling beyond Asia and the U.S.
Europe is one of their new destinations. In 2013, 1.7 million tourists visited France and spent $681 million. To attract more tourists from China, Chinese Ambassador to France Zhai Jun suggested the addition of Chinese language to billboards and brochures for tourists.
Zhai noted that instructions at tourist destinations were in French, English and Japanese languages, but Chinese is missing. France, as the most popular tourist destination, welcomed 84.1 million tourists in 2014 before the Paris terror attacks.
Notwithstanding the negative impact of the terror attacks, including the one at the Charlie Hebdo office, France aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists, according to French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, reported China Daily.
As of August 2015, more than 2 million Chinese tourists visited France, Fabius said. Among the places they frequented were Chateau de Chambrod and Chateau de Versailles.
But France showed it was not defeated by the two incidents by Paris’s successful hosting of the Climate Change Conference weeks after the terror attacks. Zhia noted that the conference was not cancelled or delayed which is an indicator that France “is capable of pulling itself together quickly after suffering heavy blows.”
Tourist arrivals in France, nevertheless, went down. For Chinese tourists who still want to visit France, Zhia advised them to avoid showing off their wealth such as holding the expensive bags they just bought in French retail outlets and carrying too much cash for shopping.