Tourism: return of Chinese customers, to be celebrated in moderation

Nobody has yet dared to open champagne in the world of tourism, but the return, even cautious, of Chinese visitors is excellent news. They are again welcome in France provided they present a negative PCR or antigen test carried out 48 hours before their departure and agree to undergo random tests on their arrival. Admittedly, this clientele fairly limited to Parisian sites (Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Versailles) represented only 3% of the sector’s turnover before the pandemic. And for almost three years, she had been replaced by others.

“Our European neighbors have come in large numbers in 2022, tourists from India and Brazil are back, as well as Americans who are taking advantage of the favorable exchange rate”, observes Vanguélis Panayotis, president of MKG Consulting. Apart from a handful of hotels and restaurants, French tourism players had moved on and even completed, without Chinese customers, a year 2022 that was up in value compared to before Covid. “We can expect to see Chinese groups again in the third quarter of 2023, and no doubt ultra-luxury customers from the spring, predicts this expert. The four Parisian palaces popular with the wealthiest Chinese will finally breathe. “

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The professionals don’t say it openly, but a gradual return of these visitors is perhaps the best thing that could happen in the context of the labor shortage. While the calendar is full of major events in the next two years – Rugby World Cup and 2024 Olympic Games – tourism must quickly find solutions to its structural weaknesses.