China
Launch of the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism (Jan. 5, 2024)

As was announced by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during the November 24, 2023, high-level dialogue on people-to-people exchanges, the official launch of the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism (ATC) is taking place today in China during the opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, with Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Trade, Small-Scale Industry, and Tourism, in attendance.

2024 will be marked by the celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. In light of this, the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism seeks to promote France as a tourist and cultural destination to a Chinese audience. The numerous events organized in over 30 Chinese cities throughout the year will highlight France’s tangible and intangible heritage, its vital art scene, and its cultural and creative industries. Prestigious French institutions such as the Palace of Versailles, the Mobilier National, and the Ballet of the Opéra national de Bordeaux will offer an exceptional series of events in order to introduce audiences to the French arts, whether classic or contemporary, in fields ranging from music to arts and crafts, filmmaking, and literature.

Additionally, the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism aims to promote China as a tourist and cultural destination to a French audience.