Paris Charles de Gaulle prepares for Chinese influx

Aéroports de Paris (AdP) is anticipating record traffic between Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and China during the Chinese New Year festivities, with 78,000 passengers expected to fly between the two destinations—up 20% on the same month last year. And the airport authority is preparing to reap the benefits at its shops, which will be decorated in Chinese colours and served by staff speaking Mandarin, Cantonese and other dialects during the period.

 

The company claimed that Chinese passengers are big buyers of products made in France. In the liquor section, cognac is the preferred purchase, in particular Camus’ XO and Chunghwa brands, with one sales associate at the AdP/Aelia-operated Pure and Rare liquor store in terminal 2E claiming to sell 300 bottles of cognac to Chinese passengers travelling to Beijing each month.

 

Skincare, in particular products from Lancôme and Christian Dior, are also popular, especially in miniature sizes. Jewellery and watches is another important category for these passengers, with Omega, Longines and Tissot the most popular watch brands and Chopard a clear favourite in the jewellery segment.

 

In March 2007 a Chinese passenger broke the spending record at Charles de Gaulle airport when he spent €23,000 ($33,634) on products including bottles of: Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945; a 1900 Armagnac; Côtes du Rhone Hermitage 1978; and a very rare cognac produced in 1806.