#ChooseFrance by Chinese tourists,+354% during Olympics ? (#184)

Franco-Chinese tourism exchanges were at the heart of the Chinese President's visit to France. The Chinese president announced the extension, until the end of 2025, of the visa exemption policy for foreign citizens from 12 countries, including France. On the occasion of an inter-ministerial tourism committee on May 7, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced measures to facilitate the issuance of visas to Chinese tourists, as the Olympics could lead to a 354% increase in Chinese tourism in France. Compared to 2019, the May 1st, 2024 holidays in China revealed a 29% increase in domestic tourism and a 20% increase in international flights.

The state visit to France by the Chinese president was marked by Franco-Chinese economic meetings and the speeches of Presidents Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron , the China Media Group 中传公关 event "60 Years of Glory: China, France, and Me," the China 2024 Business Forum by Business France France, and the exhibition "Footprint 100 Years, peace through sport and art." The Franco-Chinese exchanges during this visit were also marked by a joint statement on #ArtificialIntelligence, which is at the heart of Franco-Chinese cultural cooperation around the success of Cultural Creation Industries (augmented Notre Dame, the Saga City of Lights, Virtually Versailles,) and the #cultur'export china 2024 program by Bpifrance . This was an opportunity to discuss AI in China through an exchange with one of the subject's specialists, Frederic Josue , from whom some interview excerpts are provided below.

1/ During his visit to France, Xi Jinping announced the extension until the end of 2025 of the visa exemption policy for foreign citizens from 12 countries, including France.

Extension of the possibility to stay up to 15 days in China without a visa

This measure allows for tourism in China without a visa for stays not exceeding 15 days. It was initially launched in 2023, on an "experimental" basis, for the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.

500,000 French tourists in China in 2019

The number of French tourists visiting China increased from 15,000 in 1980 to 499,600 in 2018. They ranked 4th among European tourists. 50% of French tourists going to China (including 55% women) are aged between 45 and 64, and French Gen Z represents 18% of them. As a cultural destination, China appeals to French travelers. Chinese culture, its customs and traditions, its heritage, and its landscapes are the four major attractions of the country for French tourists. In 47% of cases, the discovery of the country took place through tour operators.

2) Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced measures to facilitate the issuance of visas to Chinese tourists.

The announcements from the inter-ministerial tourism committee on May 7, 2024.

Starting from the first half of 2025, the France-Visas portal will simplify the processing of applications for groups of Chinese tourists. Some business travelers will also be able to enter and leave French territory without having to apply for a visa each time. "The goal is to facilitate their arrival by experimenting with a fast track system," explains a source from Prime minister office. Concurrently, the staffing for visa issuance in China will continue to be strengthened.

Will Chinese tourists, among the highest spenders, spend even more in 2024?

"The Chinese, who are among the highest spenders in the world, are highly anticipated," asserts Christian MANTEI , president of Atout France

According to Goldman Sachs et Citigroup USA Inc. for the first time in five years, Chinese tourists are spending more in China.

Concurrently, according to Global Blue, as cited by McKinsey & Company through the Comité d'Echanges Franco-Chinois (CEFC), the average spending of Chinese individuals in France has grown by 20% compared to 2019.

One and a half months to obtain a visa for France.

And Christian Mantei continued, "Their arrivals have returned to about 60% to 70% of their 2019 level, while some of our European neighbors are doing better. The waiting time for a visa issuance appointment is still about a month and a half."

3) Chinese tourists that Choose France, +354% during Olympics?

Could the Olympics, with its potential 354% increase in Chinese tourist air arrivals, be the catalyst for accelerating the recovery of Chinese tourism in France?

According to the latest figures from Atout France, air arrivals of Chinese tourists to France are expected to increase by… 354% during the Olympic and Paralympic period from July 19 to August 29. Fliggy indicates that it is working on offers for Chinese tourism in France just before and just after the Olympics, taking advantage of an Olympic effect when the price of a stay in Paris returns to normal. This is particularly significant as the celebration of the Olympic spirit is at the heart of Franco-Chinese relations for the year 2024.

Exhibition "Footprint 100 Years, Peace Through Sport and Art"

The state visit to France by Chinese President was marked by Franco-Chinese economic meetings and the speeches of Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, the China Media Group event "60 Years of Glory: China, France, and Me," the China 2024 Business Forum by Business France, and the exhibition "Footprint 100 Years, Peace Through Sport and Art."

As part of the 33rd Olympic Games, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Paris, the "Footprint 100 Years" exhibition was inaugurated at the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium in Paris on May 7, attended by Pascal Gentil and Claude Guéant, among others.

According to its organizer, Mr. Jingshi FENG, "this event aims to promote Olympic values, peace through sport and art around the figure of Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the Modern Olympic Games. In order to demonstrate mutual understanding between Chinese and French cultures and to illustrate the friendship ties between our two countries, the Footprint Committee will present 33 busts inspired by that of Pierre de Coubertin and imbued with the spirit of the Olympic Games. These works, created by 33 renowned Chinese artists, were displayed on the eve of the start of the 2024 Olympic torch relay in France and the day after the state dinner of Chinese President Xi in France."

Fliggy 飞猪 Working on offers for Chinese tourism in France just before and just after the Olympics, taking advantage of an Olympic effect when the price of a stay in Paris returns to normal. Moreover, the celebration of the Olympic spirit is at the heart of Franco-Chinese relations for the year 2024.

In 2022, within the columns of this Chinese tourism newsletter, there was speculation about the success of sports tourism in China symbolized by the "Run to France" activity, which could be a lever for the recovery of Chinese (sports) tourism in France on the occasion of the World Cup or the Olympics.

See the Chinese Tourism Newsletter of November 18, 2022 Soon 372 million Chinese tourists in the world? What are the flimsy indications of a outbound Chinese tourism revival saying?

Will the impact of the Olympics in China, combined with the significant increase in Chinese tourist arrivals in France during the Olympics and the impact of the Chinese president's visit to France, enable Chinese tourism to truly begin its recovery during the two key dates on the Chinese calendar for overseas tourism, namely the National Day holiday on October 1st and the New Year holiday on January 29th (Year of the Snake in 2025)? Will France thus regain its position as the leading European destination for Chinese tourism by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025?

4) May 1st, 2024 holidays for Chinese tourists

Domestic tourism +29% vs 2019

295 million trips were made in China, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Schubert Lou, operations director at travel agency Trip.com, told the BBC: "We have seen a very strong demand for domestic travel, with hotel search volumes up 67% compared to last year, and flight volumes up 80%." Peng Han, a tourism industry consultant at Travel Daily, is tracking investment trends to see how the business community actually views the possibilities in the sector. "With renowned international hotel brands such as Intercontinental, Marriott, and Hilton, just look at their growth in China in 2023," he said. "Then, look at the performance targets for these major hotel groups in 2024, which have also been set relatively high. This shows that they are very optimistic about the growth potential of the Chinese market."

International flight bookings by Chinese tourists on the first day of the May 1st holiday were up 20% compared to 2019.

Travel searches to Japan by the Chinese Gen Z increased by 700%, and those for Vietnam reached 95% of their 2019 levels. Bookings to Thailand and Malaysia increased by 30%, while those to Singapore and Georgia more than doubled.It was also noted that weekly flights between the United States and China are only at a third of their 2019 levels (50 compared to 150).

5) News on the 60th anniversary and the visit of the Chinese president:

1) Franco-Chinese economic meetings: speeches by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping

2) Event China Media Group 中传公关 6 may in Paris

As part of the France-China Cultural Tourism Year program, "China, France, and Me": collection of stories from internet users around the world and interactive activities.

This was the context for the event organized in Paris on May 6, "60 Years of Glory: China, France, and Me." After speeches by Shen Haixiong, president and editor-in-chief of CMG Media group, Laurent Fabius, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Brice Lalonde , and Eric alauzet , the broadcast "Classical Quotations by Xi Jinping in French Media" was launched. A memorandum of cooperation between China Media Group 中传公关 and Euronews was signed, and the China France program was initiated. This was followed by the premiere of the documentary "Love for Dunhuang," performed by choirs of Chinese and French children.

3) China 2024 Business Forum by Business France, May 6, 2024

Elements highlighted by Business France on its website:

Over the past thirty years, China has experienced remarkable development that has propelled it to the status of the world's second-largest economic power, behind the United States. Its GDP growth is among the highest in the world for the period 2019-2023. China has also become a major player in global trade, accounting for nearly 20% of international exchanges in 2022. China remains a formidable engine of growth and innovation for companies and brands targeting this market. The transformation of the Chinese economy has led to new priorities that align with France's strengths: innovation, environment, sustainable cities, health, and business and personal services. French brands in the luxury and consumer goods sectors are renowned for their quality, creativity, and excellence, meeting the strong demand of the Chinese middle class, which includes more than 450 million consumers. Contrary to popular belief, China is not a market reserved only for large corporations; many French SMEs and mid-sized companies have also found success there! The French offer is well-positioned and has numerous advantages for succeeding across all sectors, especially:

Organized by BusinessFrance with the support of the General Directorate of the Treasury, the China 2024 Business Forum at the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Bercy gathered more than 450 participants. The French Chamber of Commerce in China was represented by its General Director Caroline PENARD, Vice-President Fabien PACORY, elected member Olivier Dessajan, and Shanghai Director Pascal CHEN. Franck Riester, Minister of Foreign Trade, YU Yuantang, General Director of the Department of European Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, China (MOFCOM), Didier Boulogne, General Director, Export Delegate of Business France, and Pascal Gondrand, Director of Business France in China, spoke at the event.

4) Diverse Perspectives on the Chinese President's Visit to France

View from China

View from France

5) My CGTN interview, 2024, May 11

From the 19th minute onwards. https://lnkd.in/eT232nRY1/

1) Cultural exchanges between France and China

Agreement between France and China regarding tourism training and professional education. Agreement with Eduservices, Tianfu College of SWUFE (South Western University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu) and IFDT.institut Fran?ais de développement Touristique

2/ Stakes of trade cooperation and understanding both sides market

(Cosmetics) brands need to understand the dynamics of Chinese Market (Training and Conference in France & immersion mission in Shanghai) to export in one of the two first beauty & beauty tech market in the world. Next Made In France

6) AI and cooperation between France and China : Franco-chinese joint statement on AI and exchange with Frederic Josue about AI in China.

Joint Statement on AI

During the speeches at the 6th edition of the Franco-Chinese economic meetings, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, addressed the topic of AI. "Here too, we are both convinced that at the time when the international conversation is being organized—one that will perhaps build the governance rules and certainly since we wish to regulate it—it should not be left to dialogues to happen separately. France, which will have the responsibility for this 2nd conference, following Great Britain in February 2025, wishes to do so very closely with China and to have a Chinese presence in the steering committee of this artificial intelligence summit.

In this context, a joint declaration dated May 6 was presented, aiming to recognize the crucial role of AI in development and innovation, while acknowledging the associated challenges and risks. Five points were highlighted:

1?? Recognize the crucial role of artificial intelligence in development and innovation, while acknowledging the associated challenges and risks.

2?? Advocate for a global governance system in response to rapid technological changes.

3?? Protect personal data, AI users, those whose outputs are involved, as well as against cybersecurity threats.

4?? Develop the use of AI for the common good and inclusively, while achieving sustainable development goals in various areas.

5?? Understand the impact of AI on the future of work to protect employment and workers.

Interview with Frédéric Josue on AI in China (excerpts)

Following the Franco-Chinese joint statement on AI on May 6, we had the opportunity to speak with Frederic Josue, CEO of 18M marketing and communications consulting, who specializes in technology and societal issues, about AI in China.

Below is an excerpt from this conversation and his insights on AI in China, a major global player in research, R&D, and technology.

1) What are your thoughts on the Franco-Chinese joint 5-point declaration on AI?

The Franco-Chinese declaration, although symbolic of a willingness to collaborate, seems to lack concrete measures for effective implementation. For example, while it advocates for the protection of personal data and cybersecurity, there are no details on the mechanisms of control or mutual verification that would ensure these principles are respected on both sides, especially given the differences in political regimes and the handling of personal data between France and China.

2) What do you think of Chinese advances in Artificial Intelligence?

Although China is at the forefront in areas like facial recognition, it's important to note that it is not yet leading in the field of large language models, according to the Hugging Face Elo Arena ranking, where models like GPT (OpenAI) dominate. This may reflect a gap in fundamental AI research capabilities or in the implementation of cutting-edge technologies comparable to those developed by the United States. However, China is rapidly progressing and is looking to catch up by significantly increasing its investments in AI research and development, as shown by its numerous publications and patents in the field.

3) What are your thoughts on examples of Franco-Chinese AI cooperation in the fields of Cultural Creation Industries (Saga city of lights, Ubisoft, Virtually Shanghai...) and tourism, as part of the BPI's cultur'export China program?

Projects like "Saga City of Lights" and "Virtually Shanghai" demonstrate successful collaborations in the cultural field, using AI to create immersive experiences. These initiatives can serve as models to show how technology can be used to enhance cultural and artistic exchanges. However, it is crucial that these collaborations are conducted in compliance with international data protection standards. China's participation in international forums on AI governance suggests an openness to adopting international standards.