France is to shorten visa delivery processes for Chinese tourist groups to one day from the current two as Paris targets a larger slice of a growing market, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said today.
法国外交部长洛朗·法比尤斯今天表示,为了从日益增长的旅游市场中分得一杯羹,将对中国团体游客赴法旅游的签证时限从原来的两天缩短至一天。
France received some 1.5 million Chinese tourists in 2014, the latest available figures, showing it had edged Italy as the most popular long-haul destination for travellers from China.
最新数据显示,法国在2014年接待了约150万中国游客,取代意大利成为最受中国游客喜爱的长途旅行目的地。
To attract even greater numbers Paris announced in January 2014 it would be cutting the time to process a visa from around ten days to just 48 hours, in line with similar moves in neighbouring countries.
为了吸引更多中国游客,法国政府于2014年1月已经将签证发放期限从原来的十天左右缩短至48小时。这一举动也是为了于邻国保持同步。
Fabius told reporters he expected "to be able to announce very soon a move to 24-hour processing in China for tourist groups who come to France."
法比尤斯告诉记者,他期望着“能够很快宣布这一只需花费一天的、有利中国到法旅游团的政策。”
He added that processing times would also be cut to 48 hours, notably for tourists from Indonesia, Turkey, Georgia, Vietnam and Armenia, in line with existing waiting times for India, the Gulf States and South Africa.
此外,法比尤斯还宣布,对来自印尼、土耳其、格鲁吉亚、越南以及亚美尼亚游客的旅游签证时间将缩短至48小时。法国此前已对印度、南非及海湾国家实行48小时签证。