Why Nice attracts the Chinese clientele
Chinese tourism in France has developed itself massively over the last few years. The Chinese visitor has its own codes, and even if they evolve rapidly, we can pick up their specificities. Paris obviously occupies the top spot of the most visited cities in France, and the second place of the podium returns to Nice. This is not insignificant, as Nice has long maintained a special relationship with China. With city twinning, diplomatic visits and economic agreements, Nice has positioned itself strategically to be a privileged destination for Chinese tourists. The Best Western Plus Hotel Massena Nice is proud to receive more and more customers from China.
The Chinese tourism in nice
The City of Nice managed to make for itself an important place into the Chinese touristic dream, arriving at the top of the destinations with Paris and Provence.
The Best Western Plus Hotel Masséna Nice is well-known by the Chinese clientele thanks to its privileged location close to the greatest luxury boutiques, the Galeries Lafayette and the main tourist attractions of the city.
Chinese visitors usually spend a lot of money, they go in luxury stores, and they like to bring gifts to their relatives in China.
Chinese tourists are glad to discover the main tourist attractions of the city. They are ready to draw their cameras at every moment, on the Promenade des Anglais, in the Old Town of Nice, etc. Chinese people do not hesitate to ask local people for a photo souvenir of them.
An important part of the Chinese clientele generally travels in groups and chooses travel agencies which prepare framed routes and tailored stays.
While Chinese tourism in Nice is mainly reduced for now to the beach and the most touristic avenues, it’s constantly evolving and more and more visitors are interested in Nice culture and its green tourism. Chinese travelers take more time than before to visit and deepen their stay. And for a tourist population that represented 1.7 million people in France in 2014, and whose growth is strong, this is a major challenge for Nice tourism policy in the years to come.
Famous Chinese bloggers contribute to develop the image of Nice and the French Riviera in their country. In 2016 it was the blogger Wen Jing who came a few days to make a video about the most famous spots of the French Riviera.
Development of economic and diplomatic relations between France and China
The development of Chinese tourism in Nice is mainly due to the relations that the French Riviera capital achieved to maintain with China. In fact, Nice is twinned since 1998 with the city of Hangzhou, a jewel of Chinese culture, and the 20th anniversary of this twinning in 2018 will be the occasion of events in both cities. But it was mainly in 2010 that Nice had its “Chinese moment” with the diplomatic visit of President Hu Jintao, received by Nicolas Sarkozy. Since then, the city of Nice represents the ultimate French seaside resort.
In 2015 Nice received the greatest Chinese delegation that ever came in Europe. Chinese billionaire Mr. Li Jinyuan, CEO of the Chinese pharmaceutical leader Tiens, has invited half of his employees to celebrate the company's results. Not less than 6400 employees were present in Nice during a few days, in a stay marked by excessiveness: between the hotel rooms, the restaurants and the shopping, the economic windfall is estimated at 20 million euros!
Since 2017, the Carnival of Nice, one of the three most prestigious Carnivals in the world with Venice and Rio de Janeiro, has decided to export itself to China. It’s in Xiamen, a very popular seaside city which welcomes 70 million tourists per year that the Carnival of Nice went for the first time from 11 to 14 May 2017. It’s a new start for the Carnival, and the city of Nice hopes that this will continue to develop its influence in China. To reach this goal, the project to open a direct airline between the Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport and Shanghai by 2020 is becoming more and more concrete.
Today Nice is firmly established as one of the pillars of tourism and diplomatic relations between China and France. The Tourism Office and the City of Nice are constantly looking to improve the stay of every visitor, not just Chinese ones! The Best Western Plus Hotel Masséna also continually evolves to offer you the best experience possible. Whether you come from China or elsewhere, we hope to welcome you soon to our beautiful hotel in the heart of Nice.