Before the Italy the Switzerland and Great Britain

With average class of 80 million people and its 130 billionaires in dollars, China is an eldorado for the tourism sector. For the Middle Kingdom, the France is one of the first European destinations. Before the Italy, the Switzerland and Great Britain. Last year, 600,000 Chinese visited the Ile-de-France, almost one in two coming from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Must identify the peculiarities of this market, advancing 10 per year, forgetting our Western landmarks to develop the right marketing approach. As the visa to travel solo remain difficult to obtain, the tours predominate. Belonging to the generation of "one-child", the thirty prefer, for their part, save on two nights of hotel, that they spend in the suburbs, to give heart joie in the shops of luxury in the capital. Before travelling, they have surveyed these traffic signs in Beijing or Shanghai, shopping centres to prepare their shopping list. "The Chinese spend 60 of their budget trip to France in the shopping, the price of luxury 35 more expensive at home", explains Patricia Barthélemy, in charge of Asian markets to the office of tourism and the Congress of Paris.

Luxury and fashion above all

This frenzy of purchases, for oneself or for gifts, combines both the masculine and the feminine. "Paris is an essential step for shopping enthusiasts, says Laurent Schenten, Director of international clientele in the Haussmann spring." Luxury - Leather goods, jewellery, apparel accessories - meet their strong need for recognition. "And if they do not decrypt the French alphabet, the spring puts at their disposal 30 attached customer speaking mandarin and Cantonese.

"Since fifteen years, we work this customer with representatives based in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, says Laurent Schenten." In Paris, we dedicate it a space of tax refund for purchases in the store. "The refunds are reinvested in memorabilia: chocolates, wines and cognacs. China, Hong Kong and Taiwan customers represent 30 of the turnover zero-rated spring. Even if the mother does not make-up, young Chinese find cosmetics. And the wealthy tourists do not hesitate to move in private to select the high jewellery Paris jet!

"In excess of those Russians, zero-rated Chinese purchases arrive for the first time in mind expenses, see Jean-Marc Leroy, Executive Director of Global Blue, a specialist company of the zero-rates.". "They disburse 1.071 euros, the fashion items totaling 87 of the average budget." With the implementation of the credit card CUP (China Union Pay), these lovers of cash payment are paperless regulation. "On average, settled by our card transaction amounts to 600 EUR", calculates Shengliang Yang, representative France CUP.

The hotel adapts

Conquer this customer also needs to take into account its symbolic colors and numbers. Hotel Paris Marriott Rive gauche has typed in the mile by renovating rooms in shades of red and gold. "Red, lucky charms, and yellow, color of prosperity, accompanying our guests during their stay, says Lise Phouthavong, commercial Manager at the Marriott Hotel left bank.". To assign rooms, we prefer the numbers with an eight digit, also a sign of prosperity and avoid four, with a morbid connotation.

The breakfast buffet includes Asian specialities: the vermicelli and rice soup and vegetables. "We communicate about our five Parisian institutions with documentation and website in Chinese," complete Fangzi Mathieu, at the direction of the Starwood hotel group sales.

Different strategy to the Moulin Rouge, which achieves 10 of its turnover with the Chinese. "We did adapt our menu or our review for these visitors we receive over the past 20 years", said Olivier Villalón, Director General of the Moulin Rouge. A way to keep the "french touch" for night activities.