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Learning English - Words in the News 03 September, 2004 - Published 11:59 GMT Europe opens up to Chinese tourists | ||||||||||||
An array of European countries are getting ready for what they expect will be a huge increase in the number of Chinese tourists. From Wednesday an agreement comes into effect allowing Chinese tour groups to visit twenty-nine states This report from Francis Markus. The opening up of nearly thirty European countries to Chinese tour groups unlocks whole new vistas for the narrow but growing slice of the population with the disposable incomes to take advantage of it. And the Chinese media have been packed with information whetting people's appetites and warning of the possible snags. They've told people they'll have to pay several times more for their can of Coca Cola than in China and they've featured Chinese restaurant managers in Europe reassuring them that they'll be able to find their hometown food. The country's already seen a boom in cheap travel to South East Asia. It's hard to characterise the cultural effects, although easier to tally the vital economic impact on China's neighbours. Now it'll be the turn of Europeans to come into increasing contact with yet another facet of China's international presence - albeit through the distorting mirror that mass tourism so often seems to provide. Vistas Disposable incomes Snags Reassuring Boom Tally Facet Albeit Distorting |
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