Chinese tourists: pros and cons

(Baonghean) - When I was studying abroad, I often jokingly told people, "There is no place in the world that does not have Chinese footprints"!

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The Chinese are famous for being good at business, so in many big cities around the world, everyone knows about Chinatowns. These are areas where a large number of Chinese people live and work mainly in trading. They often open mini supermarkets selling Asian goods or restaurants.

However, the Chinese "conquest" of the world perhaps only truly blossomed with the footsteps of tourist groups.

The first and still the most popular destination for Chinese people is the United States. For Chinese people, a trip to the United States is a way to show their “aristocratic” status and social status.

The rapid rise of wealth in the country of one billion people has led to the massive emergence of first-generation millionaires and billionaires. The second generation of wealthy Chinese has come to the US in large numbers, mainly to study abroad and seek settlement opportunities.

After the US, Chinese people flock to European countries to travel and of course - to spend money. France, Italy, Spain,… countries that are not only famous for their tourist attractions but also for their fashion and luxury goods have become ideal destinations for the rich Chinese.

A China Town. Illustration photo: Internet

About 10 years ago, shopping malls in Paris were not used to serving Chinese customers, but after 5 years, they started to recruit Chinese or Chinese-origin employees, or French people who can speak Chinese to serve the increasing number of customers from this Asian country.

Nowadays, in big shopping malls, there are whole areas where they don’t speak French. Chinese customers sit all over the stairs or line up in long lines in front of Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Dior, etc. Of course, the staff speaks 100% Chinese and the signs are also written in Chinese.

The peak was that many French shops were bought by Chinese people. Many streets in Paris were "Sinicized". French bar and restaurant owners said they were no longer surprised to welcome Asian guests who walked into their shops at 8am and asked for breakfast with rice or noodles...

Many locals are not happy with the growing number of Chinese tourists coming to their country. The main reason is cultural differences. However, tourists come to spend money, and locals are trying to find a balance between economic benefits and preserving their culture in the face of strong “invasion” of Asian visitors.

Unlike Americans, the French are quite conservative when it comes to their traditions and local culture. However, they still decide to learn to be friendly with tourists who are a bit noisy and sometimes shocking because of their different social norms.

Chinese tourists are paying more attention to Vietnam tourism. This brings both advantages and disadvantages, requiring us to have preparations and effective measures to achieve a harmonious result. Developing tourism, increasing economic benefits but not losing ourselves. We open the door to welcome foreign friends to our country and fully respect them. But at the same time, we must make them understand that they also need to respect the country, people and local culture.

Hai Trieu