Paris gets safer for tourists from Asia
Updated: 2014-11-14 08:06
By Tuo Yannan in Paris, France(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Robberies of Chinese and Japanese tourists in Paris decreased significantly in the first nine months of this year, the police in Paris said on Wednesday.
"Robberies committed against Chinese tourists have dropped 25 percent in the first nine months this year, illustrating the decline in this type of crime even though the number of visitors from China has increased by 50 percent for the last three years," the police department said.
Last year, for the first time, Chinese nationals surpassed Japanese as the largest group of Asian tourists visiting Paris. About 880,000 Chinese tourists visited Paris last year, almost double the figure from the previous year, according to the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Although more than 10 million overseas tourists visit Paris every year, cash-carrying, unguarded Chinese tourists are especially easy targets for pickpockets, and even for violent crimes such as robbery and rape.
Many tourists, especially those from Asia, get "Paris syndrome", a sort of culture shock phenomenon: They arrive in Paris expecting a friendly, quaint European capital as seen in movies and are horrified when confronted with the reality of rude French service and ubiquitous thieves.
Christophe Soullez, a criminologist and director of the French National Supervisory Body on Crime and Punishment, said that it is true that Chinese and Japanese tourists are targeted more than other nationalities.
He believed that a different security environment results in the phenomenon.
"Chinese tourists are sometimes naive and can easily be trapped because they are not used to being confronted by villainous crime," he said. "In China, Japan and other Asian countries, pickpocketing, theft by deception and robbery hardly exist."
In order to curb crimes targeting tourists, the police launched an action plan with 26 measures to protect them this year. Patrols were increased and more officers sent to popular tourist sites such as the Louvre, Montmartre, Notre Dame and the Champs-Elysees.
The measures produced "tangible results". The bureau saw a drop of more than 13 percent of robberies recorded in the Louvre, and the Champs-Elysees area had a decrease of more than 24 percent of robberies and nearly 22 percent of intentional injury.
The police department's Chinese web page also has provided many crime-prevention tips, as well as the location of police stations and how to report a crime.
In the future, the police said, the city's security will be further strengthened through continued partnership actions taken with Asian embassies such as China's and Japan's.
tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn
- Britain to introduce tough new foreign fighter laws
- World's tallest man meets world's shortest man
- Lang Lang honored with German award
- Rituals and prayers for hope at the South Korean college entrance exams
- Afghan president arrives in Pakistan for key security talks
- DPRK to send special envoy to Russia
- Premier Li pledges to strengthen cooperation with India
- Lang Lang honored with German award
- Airshow China soars to success in Zhuhai
- The most people dine on the beds
- Dangling workers rescued from World Trade Center
- Long-term visas issued for China, US citizens
- Long-term visas issued for China, US citizens
- Culture Insider: Chic items in ancient China
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
China pushes for code at South China Sea |
Forbes sees Xi as world's third most powerful person |
Special: APEC China 2014 |
Reporting on the route to Tibet |
Young students seek a different class of education |
Foundations of financial folly |
Today's Top News
US spying scheme targets Americans' cellphones
The Waldorf's hefty price tag
China, US to build milk-powder plant in Kansas
China, ASEAN set goal for upgrading FTA
Country pushes for code at South China Sea
Beijing wants to keep 'APEC blue'
US, China reach landmark pacts
Youth urged to get politically involved
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |