Chinese firm sends 6,400 employees on French holiday

  • 9 May 2015
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  • From the section China
Employees of the Tiens Group attend a parade organised as part of a four-day celebration weekend for the 20th anniversary of the company on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France on 8 May 2015
The company booked more than 4,700 rooms in Cannes and Monaco to accommodate its staff on holiday
A Chinese company has paid for 6,400 of its employees to go on a four-day holiday to France.
The biggest tour group to visit the country was welcomed in the southern resort of Nice on Saturday. 
Tiens Group president Li Jinyuan booked up 140 hotels in Paris and more than 4,700 rooms in Cannes and Monaco for their trip.
Their holiday included a private viewing of the Louvre museum and a mass visit to the Moulin Rouge cabaret show.
On Friday, Guinness World Records' inspectors watched the group line up on a beach to break the record for the longest "human-made phrase".
Tiens' employees spell out the words "Tiens' dream is Nice on the Cote d'Azur" in France on 8 May 2015
The group broke the record for the longest human-made phrase visible from the sky on Friday
Tiens' employees spell out the words "Tiens' dream is Nice on the Cote d'Azur" in France on 8 May 2015
Local media said that the group could spend 13m euros on their trip
Local media say that the group is expected to spend some €13m ($14.6m; £9.5m) in total.
"We have mobilised public services as well as tourism professionals, hotels, restaurants, shops and designer brands," said Christian Mantel, head of tourism development agency Atout France. 
"So far everything has gone smoothly, the feedback has been extremely positive," he said, as quoted by the Agence France-Presse news agency. 
The tourists have hired 146 buses to drive them around for the duration of their holiday. 
The Tiens Group has business interests in a number of fields, including tourism, trade and cosmetics. 

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