Chinese Tourists in the UK

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Chinese Tourists in the UK
(YouTube, 2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9TjZrvew5Q&feature=em-share_video_user
Steamed buns and hot soya milk: the perfect way to start the day at this hotel in central London. A Chinese breakfast
is one of the ways the Landmark hotel is trying to attract London’s many tourists from Shanghai and Beijing.
We know the Chinese tend to be slightly more superstitious and (there are) certain things that should be avoided. So,
for instance, we will avoid put ... allocating them in rooms on the fourth floor or any rooms that have the number four
because “four” in Chinese has a similar tone to the word “death”.
Chinese tourism in the UK is booming. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of visitors rose twenty percent. But the
British economy having recently emerged from a double-dip recession, the three hundred or so million euros spent by
Chinese tourists in Britain last year was most welcome.
When they come to Britain, my goodness, they spend ... the average Chinese visitor spends about three times as much
– sixteen hundred pounds – as the average visitor to Britain. But we know that our European rivals do much better
than us and we really want to grow the Chinese market.
A million tourists from China flocked to Europe last year, but just a hundred and fifty thousand of them came to
Britain’s shores. This may be because a visa for the UK costs a visitor from China almost double that of a Schengen
visa, which gives access to twenty-six European countries. And European paperwork is relatively straight-forward.
But London’s biggest retailers are doing their best at wooing the Chinese, with sales assistants who speak Mandarin,
new payment systems specifically designed to accept Chinese credit and debit cards.
Chinese clientele have a really healthy appetite for designer labels and particularly for brands like Chanel and Prada
and Miou-Miou, um, but also for the fine watches and jewelry that we see here.
Visit Britain are pushing for easier tourist access for Chinese visitors in order to achieve the UK Tourist Board’s
ambitious goal of attracting three-hundred and eighty thousand Chinese tourists a year by 2020.
Vocabulary
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07.
08.
09.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Steamed
Tend to be
Slightly
Should be avoided
For instance
Allocating them
A similar tone
Is booming
Rose twenty percent (rise/rose/risen)
Having recently emerged
A double-dip recession
Or so
About three times as much
à la vapeur
ont tendance à être
légèrement
devraient être évitées
par exemple
les placer, leur attribuer
une consonance similaire
est en pleine expansion
a augmenté de 20%
étant récemment sorti (émergé)
une récession à double chiffre
environ
environ trois fois plus
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14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
To grow the Chinese market
To flock
Britain’s shores
Paperwork
Straightforward
Retailers
To woo
Fine watches
To push
By 2020
faire croître
arriver en grand nombre
aux rives de la Grande-Bretagne
les formalités, la “paperasse”
facile à comprendre / simple
les commerçants
pour attirer
des montres de luxe
faire pression
d’ici 2020
Chinese Tourists in the UK
(YouTube, 2014)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
S__________ buns and hot soya milk: the perfect way to start the day at this hotel in central London. A Chinese
(à la vapeur)
breakfast is one of the ways the Landmark hotel is trying to attract London’s many tourists from Shanghai and
Beijing.
We know the Chinese t________ to be s__________more superstitious and (there are) certain things that should be
(ont tendance)
(légèrement)
a_________ . So, f______ i________, we will avoid put ... a____________ them in rooms on the fourth floor or any
(évités)
(par exemple)
(placer, attributer)
rooms that have the number four because “four” in Chinese has a s_________ t_______ to the word “death.”
(une consonance similaire à)
Chinese tourism in the UK is b_________. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of visitors r_______ twenty percent.
(en pleine expension)
(a augmenté de)
But the British economy h_________ recently e_________ from a d______-d____ recession, the three hundred
(étant récemment sortie)
(à double chiffre)
o____s___ million euros spent by Chinese tourists in Britain last year was most welcome.
(environ)
When they come to Britain, my goodness, they spend ... the average Chinese visitor spends a______ three times a___
(environ 3 fois plus)
m_____ – sixteen hundred pounds – as the average visitor to Britain. But we know that our European rivals do much
better than us and we really want to g________the Chinese market.
(faire croître)
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A million tourists from China f________ to Europe last year, but just a hundred and fifty thousand of them came to
(sont venus en grand nombre)
Britain’s s_______. This may be because a visa for the UK costs a visitor from China almost double that of a
(rives)
Schengen visa, which gives access to twenty-six European countries. And European p____________ is relatively
(formalités, “paperasse”)
S_________-f__________.
(facile à comprendre / simple)
But London’s biggest r___________ are doing their best a__ w_________ the Chinese, with sales assistants who
(commerçants)
(pour attirer)
speak Mandarin, new payment systems specifically designed to accept Chinese credit and debit cards.
Chinese clientele have a really healthy appetite for designer labels and particularly for brands like Chanel and Prada
and Miou-Miou, um, but also for the f______watches and jewelry that we see here.
(de luxe)
Visit Britain are p________ for easier tourist access for Chinese visitors in order to achieve the UK Tourist Board’s
(font pression)
ambitious goal of attracting three-hundred and eighty thousand Chinese tourists a year b____ 2020.
(d’ici)