10 most visited sites in France by Chinese tourists

What Chinese tourists actually say about France

On Xiaohongshu, France is still the dream. Posts about Paris regularly collect hundreds of thousands of saves. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Seine at sunset: Chinese travelers call it 像电影一样 (just like a movie). But scroll past the aesthetic shots and you find a more honest picture. Service can be cold. Pickpockets are a real concern, especially around tourist spots. And the gap between the Paris people imagined and the Paris they find can be large. That tension is real and it shapes how you need to market to this audience.

One stat to keep in mind: Chinese tourists spend an average of €2,500 per trip in France. That is well above the European market average.

The numbers (2024-2026)

• France received 102 million international visitors in 2025, a record, generating €77.5 billion in tourism receipts (+9% year-on-year).
• Chinese arrivals to France rebounded 49% in 2025 vs 2024, driven in part by positive platform sentiment post-Olympics.
• Despite that recovery, Chinese visitor numbers remain roughly 60% below pre-pandemic levels. The ceiling is still a long way up.
• Chinese tourists average €2,500 per trip in France, significantly higher than most other nationalities.
• Over 155 million outbound trips from China are expected in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Europe is the top destination region.

Latest news

• February 2026: France officially confirmed 102 million foreign visitors in 2025, making it the world’s most visited country for another consecutive year. Chinese arrivals were highlighted as a key growth driver with +49% year-on-year.
• November 2025: China extended its 30-day visa-free entry for French citizens through December 31, 2026. This signals continued goodwill between both countries and keeps bilateral travel demand high.

What Chinese tourists think about France

The research is clear on a few things.

What they love: The visual identity of Paris is unbeatable on Chinese social media. Posts about the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Montmartre, and the big fashion houses consistently go viral. The food reputation is strong. Luxury shopping is a major draw, with Chinese visitors spending heavily in flagship stores along Avenue Montaigne and Rue Saint-Honoré. The 2024 Paris Olympics dramatically lifted France’s image among younger Chinese travelers.

What frustrates them: Staff attitude in restaurants and shops is a recurring complaint. Many Chinese travelers report feeling unwelcome or ignored, particularly in mid-range establishments that have not invested in cultural training. Pickpocket stories spread fast on Xiaohongshu and Zhihu: the Eiffel Tower area, the Louvre, and metro lines 1 and 2 come up repeatedly. Chinese tourists also note that queuing times at major sites can kill half a day. The gap between the romanticized image and the reality still hits some visitors hard.

What surprises them: French food portions. The speed of service at boulangeries. How affordable some brasseries are compared to tourist restaurant prices. And how beautiful the countryside outside Paris is, something many did not expect.

Opportunities for businesses targeting Chinese tourists

Hotels: Chinese travelers plan on Ctrip and Fliggy. If your hotel is not listed there, you miss a large chunk of the booking funnel. In-room materials in Mandarin, WeChat Pay acceptance, and a Chinese breakfast option are low-cost signals that convert browsers into bookings. Photos of your property on Xiaohongshu, especially showing natural light and aesthetics, matter more than a standard TripAdvisor listing.

Restaurants: A Mandarin QR-code menu is table stakes. Chinese travelers share food photos constantly. If your plating is photogenic and your staff signals welcome, you will get organic reach on Xiaohongshu. Vegetarian options and fish dishes index well with Chinese visitors.

Retail: Tax-free shopping guidance in Mandarin at checkout turns a one-time buyer into someone who recommends your store on social. Chinese tourists are price-savvy. They know exchange rates. If your tax refund process is fast and clear, that becomes a reason to choose you over a competitor.

Tour operators: The group tour market is shrinking. Independent travel (FIT) now dominates. Products that offer flexibility, short day experiences, and things to do outside Paris (Loire Valley, Provence, the Alps) are growing. Package them as half-day or full-day formats that fit an independent traveler’s itinerary.

For platform-specific strategy, read our guides on Xiaohongshu marketing and Douyin marketing.

Key metrics at a glance

Metric	Data
2025 total foreign visitors to France	102 million (record)
Chinese arrivals growth 2025 vs 2024	+49%
Gap vs pre-pandemic Chinese arrivals	Still ~60% below 2019
Average Chinese tourist spend per trip	€2,500
France tourism receipts 2025	€77.5 billion
China outbound trips 2025 (total)	155+ million (first time above 2019)

How to reach Chinese tourists on Xiaohongshu and Douyin

On Xiaohongshu: France is one of the best-performing destinations on the platform. Aesthetic content wins: golden hour at the Eiffel Tower, pastry flat lays, fashion-district street shots. But the content that converts is practical. Posts answering “what to do in Paris in 3 days,” “best restaurants near the Louvre,” or “how to claim tax refunds in France” collect massive saves. User-generated content from real Chinese travelers is trusted far more than brand posts. Work with Chinese KOLs who travel to France, and give them real experiences to share, not scripted ones.

On Douyin: Short-form video of Paris works extremely well. Drone shots of Versailles, street-level Paris walks, “one day in Paris” style vlogs all perform. Chinese travel influencers with 500k-2M followers in the travel niche produce the best ROI for destination content. Douyin’s algorithm rewards watch time, so the first 3 seconds have to hook. A French accordion on the Seine does it every time.

Want help building a strategy for either platform? See our services.

Ready to attract Chinese tourists to your business in France?

The demand is there. Chinese travelers are coming back to France in growing numbers, and they spend significantly. The businesses that capture this audience are not the ones waiting for tourists to walk in. They are the ones active on Xiaohongshu and Douyin before those tourists book their flights.

Contact us and we can show you exactly what that looks like for your business.