From Shanghai to Sydney, tourists think twice about Paris trip

Modetour Network

18/11/2015 12:43

* Attacks in Paris prompt travel cancellations in Asia 
    * Downturn expected to be short-lived - travel operators 
    * Tourism brings in more than 7 pct of French GDP 
 
    Nov 18 (Reuters) - Fresh violence on the streets of Paris 
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13D1HC and bomb threats against Air France  AIRF.PA  
flights  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N13D08U have rattled the global tourism industry, 
with travellers from wealthy Asian nations thinking twice about 
trips to Europe. 
    Tour operators cancelled package trips and some predicted a 
further slowdown in bookings as jittery travellers hold off on 
immediate plans or look to go elsewhere. 
    Some big-spending Chinese tourists are shunning Paris for 
now and opting instead to visit Germany and other European 
cities in the wake of the second major attack this year on the 
French capital. Some Chinese visiting Paris last weekend swiftly 
diverted to Switzerland, said Jane Chen at travel firm Ctrip in 
Shanghai. 
    More than 2 million Chinese were expected to visit France, 
the world's leading tourist destination, this year, up from 1.7 
million last year, according to Chinese state media citing the 
country's ambassador to France. For Japanese, France is the 12th 
most popular travel destination. 
    The likely blip in foreign arrivals will further pressure 
the French economy, particularly if tourist unease lasts through 
the Christmas season.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13C43E Tourism generates more than 7 
percent of annual GDP, with Paris alone drawing in 32.2 million 
visitors last year.  
    "I still want to go to Paris, but after this incident I 
won't go within a year,' said Vickie Zheng, a 27-year-old 
realtor in Shanghai. 
    "My impression of Paris is that it's a romantic city, but 
after this I think the security situation has been neglected and 
there are risks. If I was travelling this would influence me," 
added Li Maoqing, 29, a Shanghai salesman. 
    An employee at CITIC Tourism in Beijing said business 
related to France was expected to remain "sluggish". "Unlike 
earthquakes or natural disasters, a terrorist attack will leave 
people with fear for ... at least three months." 
     
    "REALLY CONCERNED" 
    Among Asian airlines operating regular flights to the French 
capital, a spokesman for South Korea's Asiana Airlines 
 020560.KS  said it stepped up security for Paris flights. 
    "Our passengers are really concerned about the attacks in 
Paris," added K.W. Nieh, a senior vice president at Taiwan's Eva 
Airways  2618.TW , noting a rush of cancellations following 
Friday's attacks in Paris that killed 129 people. 
    "On Sunday alone, we had 50 cancellations out of 300 
bookings. Paris has always been a fully-loaded route for us, but 
loading has dropped to 70-80 percent since the attacks." 
    Several airlines, such as Air China  601111.SS  and 
Singapore Airlines  SIAL.SI , waived cancellation fees for those 
booked on flights to Paris in the coming days or weeks. 
    Dennis Bunnik, Chairman of Council of Australian Tour 
Operators Inc, said clients are "definitely nervous," though 
this is currently low season for travelling to Europe. 
    "People have realised that terrorism can happen anywhere, so 
if your time's up, then unfortunately you'd get caught in it," 
he said.  
    "What this sort of incident would do is delay people 
booking, but won't stop them from travelling."     
 
 (Reporting by Shanghai and Beijing Newsrooms, Swati Pandey in 
SYDNEY, Faith Hung in TAIPEI, Donny Kwok in HONG KONG, Ritsuko 
Ando in TOKYO, Aradhana Aravindan in SINGAPORE and Joyce Lee in 
SEOUL; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) 
 ((annemarie.roantree@thomsonreuters.com; +852 97387151; Reuters 
Messaging: annemarie.roantree.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: FRANCE SHOOTING/TOURISM PARIS