Chinese tourists in Paris. File Photo: VCG

Paris (People's Daily)--A group of 40 Chinese tourists was robbed in Paris, on November 2.  Local media reported that four men allegedly used tear gas to attack the group close to their hotel in Val de Marne, a suburb in the southeastern part of the city.

The attack could be the result of a few reasons.
First, it’s in a remote area that is not very safe, and is a thirty-minute drive from downtown Paris.
Hotel staff who witnessed the mugging said the hotel does not have a parking lot, which makes it easy for street thugs to mug tourists who are walking to the hotel.
Local police were not able to confirm if the attack was a premeditated.
It’s off-season for travel in Paris, yet visitors from China still flock to the city in droves.
Chinese tour groups typically choose to stay in the outskirts of the city where it’s a a bit cheaper, but in doing so they run the risk of being robbed.  Today, Chinese tourists consist of anywhere between 20 to 30 percent of the hotel’s customer base, according on to those who work there.
In most of the crimes involving Chinese tourists in that area, thugs usually go for cash and jewelry. Asian tourists have become the preferred targets as some have been known to carry substantial amounts money when they travel.  According to local investigators, the suburb has seen an increase in street crime. 
French police have paid attention to the safety of foreign tourists, but attacks are difficult to prevent.
France 2, the French public television network, reported that from the beginning of this year, the number of Chinese tourists to France began to rise. Given the experience of previous years, every attack will have a great negative impact on french tourism. In an interview, Yoann Maras, the secretary of the local Police Union said that it is impossible to have police guards at all times and places Travel agencies should take responsibility for informing the dangers of carrying cash and raising the vigilance of tourists.