STORY: Countries embrace returning Chinese travelers for Lunar New Year and beyond
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Feb. 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:38
LOCATION: Paris/VILLACH, Austria/FLORENCE, Italy/Amman/RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Chinese New Year celebration in Paris, France
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HE YINGCHAO, Director of tourism marketing, Samaritaine LVMH at DFS Group, France
3. various of Chinese tourists
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG JUNLAN, Retail marketing manager, Samaritaine LVMH at DFS Group, France
5. various of Chinese New Year celebration in Villach, Austria
6. SOUNDBITE 3: (English): SILVIA WIRNSBERGER, Director of Business & MICE, Villach regional tourism Co. Ltd., Austria
7. aerial view of Florence, Italy (File)
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): STEFANIE YI, Senior marketing and PR manager of Asia at LuisaViaRoma, Florence
9. various of a store
10. various of Chinese cultural events held in Florence, Italy (File)
11. shot of a relic site in Amman, Jordan
12. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): CATHY LIU YUE, Tour guide in Amman, Jordan
13. various of tourists in Amman, Jordan
14. aerial view of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): DANIELA MAIA, Rio de Janeiro's Secretary of Tourism
16. various of cultural events held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (File)
17. various of Chinese tourists (File)

STORYLINE:

During China's eight-day Spring Festival holiday, tourist destinations in various countries are keen to attract Chinese holidaymakers, with high hopes for a tourism boom.

Paris, France

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): HE YINGCHAO, Director of tourism marketing, Samaritaine LVMH at DFS Group, France
"We are here to facilitate our Chinese customers. We have a dedicated team, consisting of more than ten people, who are fluent in Chinese. This team is specifically focused on providing convenience for our Chinese customers in terms of shopping and understanding the history of our shopping mall. We also ensure convenience in various aspects such as tax refunds and after-sales services, aiming to provide them with comprehensive assistance and eliminate any language barriers."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG JUNLAN, Retail marketing manager, Samaritaine LVMH at DFS Group, France
"We are honored to welcome Chinese guests to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Paris. We offer a number of activities during the holiday."

Villach, Austria

SOUNDBITE 3: (English): SILVIA WIRNSBERGER, Director of Business & MICE, Villach regional tourism Co. Ltd., Austria
"You can see beautiful landscapes, beautiful views and nice weather normally.  I would like to welcome you here in Austria in Villach to come to us. This is the south part of Austria. You would like it. I will show you everything. Yeah, come to Villach."

Florence, Italy

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): STEFANIE YI, Senior marketing and PR manager of Asia at LuisaViaRoma, Florence
"We are going to do store installation with Chinese artists to represent the Year of the Dragon. As we understood from the Chinese culture, the Year of the Dragon is particularly important. Therefore, we very much respect the culture from China. LuisaViaRoma welcomes all the Chinese to come to visit our store in Florence during the Chinese New Year and wishes all of us a happy Chinese New Year. Best wishes for the Year of the Dragon."

Amman, Jordan

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): CATHY LIU YUE, Tour guide in Amman, Jordan
"Jordan has always been very safe. The majority of the Jordanian people are friendly and welcome Chinese tourists. They often ask me why more Chinese tourists haven't visited yet and are very welcoming to Chinese people coming over."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): DANIELA MAIA, Rio de Janeiro's Secretary of Tourism
"Explore the charm of Rio de Janeiro! I sincerely welcome you, Chinese tourists. Come to discover the stunning beaches, the vibrant culture, and warm hospitality of this unique city. We look forward to welcoming you soon!"

Chinese tourists are expected to make more than 6 billion domestic trips in 2024, and the combined number of inbound and outbound tourists traveling internationally is expected to exceed 260 million, according to a recent report from the China Tourism Academy.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Paris/Villach, Austria/Florence, Italy/Amman/Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(XHTV)