France eyes attracting 5 mln Chinese tourists yearly

France was looking to double the number of Chinese holidaymakers to five million yearly.[Photo/IC]

France, world's top tourism destination, was looking to double the number of Chinese holidaymakers to five million yearly, pledging more improved services to satisfy needs of the booming Asian market.

"Our objective is to welcome five million per year in the coming years. Our cultural and natural heritage, our gastronomy and our lifestyle are assets that meet the expectations of Chinese tourists," junior minister for tourism and foreign trade Matthias Fekl told Xinhua in an written interview on Wednesday.

Taking into account the cruises from French coasts to discover the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, France records "several million Chinese tourists who come for few days," he added.

Over the last 12 months, the eurozone's second main powerhouse, saw more than 2 million tourists from China, where tourism business' progress remains strong, according to Fekl.

The French official noted that French government was working to enhance accommodation services, to further highlight the country's trumps to encourage more Chinese to visit Paris, the most visited city in the world.

"Chinese tourists come to France to enjoy some of our products and our brands, that is why we improve the tax exemptions procedures, payment terms and we change schedules and the opening days of our stores to facilitate purchases," he added.

According to official data, outside Europe, China is France's second biggest tourist market in 2013 after the United States, with 1.7 million visitors and 600 million euros ($656.5 million) of revenue.

Asked about the security measures implemented to ensure the visitors' safety from the world's most populous country, Fekl said "some initiatives are being explored to work together," including a boost of communication tools to inform them of the needed information and safety precautions.