Love of all things French

The royal Chateau de Chambord in Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France. The Chateau of Amboise in Loire valley is a World Heritage site.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The European country is easing entry procedures and launching promotions for Chinese who believe it has a certain je ne sais quoi. And visitor volumes are soaring, Yang Feiyue reports.

France's moves toward offering Chinese a passe-partout is paying off.

Chinese are expected to top the inbound tourism chart in France, with the destination recently relaxing visa policies and proffering promotional programs.

The number of Chinese arriving in France surged about 50 percent in the first quarter, while the number getting visas to the country increased 56 percent in the first half of the year, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France said last month.

He believes they'll soon become the largest force in the French tourism industry and touch 5 million annually.

France plans to offer five-year multiple-entry visas to more Chinese, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in June.

"Within the framework of the Schengen rules, the French embassy and consulates are endeavoring to issue visas of up to five years to more Chinese," says an official with the French embassy in China, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Schengen Area refers to 26 European countries that have eliminated passport and border controls at their shared borders, and operate according to a common visa policy.

Nearly 7,000 five-year visas were issued to Chinese from January to August. More than 60,000 visas from one to five years were issued to Chinese during the period, representing a 46 percent year-on-year increase, according to a French embassy statement.

"We are always arguing in favor of increasing mobility of the people between France and China, especially for tourists and businessmen," the official says.

But there are high standards and strict requirements for multiple-entry visas to France.