French broadcaster spotlights China's cultural tourism in summer program

French broadcaster BFM Business has aired a 27-minute special on travel to China, spotlighting the country's cultural tourism boom and rising foreign arrivals under visa-free policies.

The program introduced the must-see tourist cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an and promoted other popular destinations such as Chongqing, Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province and Erhai Lake in Yunnan Province.

In the program, Beatrice Augier, a French media professional who travels often to China, and Catherine Chauvinc, president of the Asia-Pacific Commission for the French Foreign Trade Advisors and a 23-year resident of Shanghai, shared insights from their personal experiences.

They highlighted emerging cultural and tourism trends that are particularly popular among young foreigners, including Guochao, or "China-chic," wellness tourism, rural trips, and camping.

Earlier, many foreign media outlets reported on the "Chinamaxxing" trend and analyzed the reasons behind it. Some believe that the social media phenomenon is a direct reflection of the real China coming into focus for global audiences, fueling growing fascination among foreigners.

Chauvinc noted that foreign users, particularly Americans, have discovered China's lifestyle and traditions through Chinese social media. Now they are arriving in person to try hot tea, tuina massage, and more, creating a positive feedback loop she calls "Chinamaxxing."

In Shanghai, she observed, it has become increasingly common over the past few years to see queues of foreign tourists at tea houses and spas.

The program also featured Chinese guests who addressed common concerns among foreign tourists, breaking down everything from visa-free policies and cross-border payments to high-speed trains and translation applications, making it clear just how easy it is to enjoy trips in China.

Augier said traveling in China is now hassle-free, with access to internet services everywhere and cutting-edge technology at every turn, which is a tremendous change from just a decade ago when she could recall much fewer people able to speak English and technology that was far less advanced. She called today's China one of the safest countries in the world.

China received 22.914 million international visitor arrivals in the first half of this year, including 17.815 million visa-free entries, up 20.4 percent and 30.6 percent year on year, respectively, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.

According to data from third-party travel platforms, European countries accounted for 30 percent of the top 20 source markets for inbound tourism during the summer holiday season, with ticket orders soaring more than 20 times year on year.

French broadcaster spotlights China's cultural tourism in summer program

Nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated near Bordeaux, a city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department, as wildfires rage on in southwestern France.

Water-bombing aircraft swooped low over the fires raging outside Bordeaux, but load after load of water disappears into the flames.

"The intensity is enormous. We already had a fire in 2022 in the same spot. It started right here. As you can see, there's nothing left. And four years later, we're back in the same place," said Arnault Des Granges, a firefighter.

Twenty kilometers west of Bordeaux, the biggest of the 32 fires raging out of control in the south of France is scorching the pine forest.

"It's so terrible that the fire is hard to control. The fire is 500 meters away, and the flames are leaping 500 meters. With the wind they're forecasting at 80 kilometers per hour, I don't think we'll put it out. It's going to spread," Granges said.

A bit further down the road, the race was on to get horses out. Spooked by the smoke and noise, they were rushed onto trailers and driven to safety.

At a makeshift reception center, beds were laid out, and huge quantities of food prepared for exhausted firefighters.

"We're making them some paella and camembert with fries. That way they can eat and regain their strength to fight the fire," said a staff member at the center.

Around 200,000 evacuated as wildfires rage on in southwestern France