India Tourism Office inauguration
April 4th, 2008 - by Nazia Vasi
The Indian Embassy will start an India Tourism Office in Beijing on Monday the 7th of April. The ITO in Beijing follows the successful opening of the China Tourism Office in New Delhi in August last year. The inauguration will also coincide with Ms Ambika Soni - Indian Minister of Tourism and Culture’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai and a week long food festival in both Beijing and Shanghai. The tourism office will be responsible in promoting India as a tourist destination in China.
People are at the heart of any relationship. China’s outbound tourism sector has skyrocketed in recent years, with the number of Chinese traveling to India reaching 68,000 last year and the number of Indians flying to China almost seven-times that totaling more than 462,000. Comparatively, the number of Chinese going abroad reached 37.5 million in 2007, up from 34 million in 2006, and 12 million in 2001. China has surpassed Japan to become the biggest source of outbound tourists in Asia.
Building good tourism links between India and China is especially important considering the rich, cultural and historical bonds both ancient civilizations share. While the cold wars have created a sense of separatism politically, the people still remain open and friendly towards each other. Trade between both complimentary superpowers reached $38 billion last year, and is expected to jump to $60 billion by 2010.
Both governments have been working towards building stronger ties between the two countries. India and China celebrated The India-China friendship through tourism year, last year wherein familiarization trips and road shows were organised for Chinese and Indian journalists, travel agents, members of the hospitality industry and tour groups. The Indian consulate has also begun printing travel brouchers in Chinese to appeal to a wider audience.
Flights between the two countries have also doubled since last year, 27 flights are now operational between India and China in a week. The cities linked are Beijing-New Delhi, Guangzhou-New Delhi, Shanghai-New Delhi and Kunming-Kolkata. China Eastern Airlines, Air China, China Southern, Air India and Ethopian Airways are the carriers that operate between the two countries. With ever increasing trade the Indian embassy expects there to be 50 flights within the next two years.
The Indian consulate also opened a visa center in Shanghai three weeks ago to improve business and travel links between Shanghai and India.
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April 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
http://www.2point6billion.com/2008/03/20/another-one-bites-the-dust/
April 5th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
The Chinese yearn for recognition from west and also have this Japanese mentality of getting into Big league. they just donot like the uncleanliness of India. Ordinary chinese still view India from the eyes of western news agencies like CNN/BBC and specialists look at india from the eyes of Rodrique macfarhaar.
Only when chinese produce the likes of Huang Psuang and Fahien who crossed the Himalayas by foot to learn India, the chinese tourists will head to USA and EU only.
India has to learn to give CHEAP.CLEAN GOOD HOTELS while it caters either to affluent or footpath tourists. No middleground.
April 5th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
great news! yeah, not many chinese are really interested in coming to india. but they are coming, and more and more!
April 6th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
There’s plenty of low cost hotels (@USD100 a night) in India that are clean and reliable. Below that you’re going to struggle, but they are there. It’s only a matter of time; China has not yet approved India as a ‘mass tourist destination’ for Chinese nationals and so it is not yet being fully marketed to it’s potential. But this will change in time. I was at the Taj Mahal last weekend though and didn’t see any Chinese faces. So a lot to do…
April 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Chris,
Maybe the Chinese government is expecting some sort of reciprocity? Or does the Chinese government not think Indian tourists will be flocking to China? Maybe the latter.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Indian tourists are already flocking to China. News of China’s development is attracting more than just India corporate czars to China. The common Indian too is very curious both to get an insight into the break-neck development and culture of China.
The Indian tourism Office on the other hand, has a lot on its plate….just the other day an educated chinese person asked me if India was a part of Asia! In my travels around China, I find most Chinese people ignorant about India. This needs to change before people even consider it a tourist destination.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I fly between India and China a lot, mainly between either Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong and Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and the flights are always packed. Both nations have some work to do to win trust, but it is happening. Matter of fact, prior to the 1960’s border dispute, it was common for Indian Bollywood films to be shown in China; India was quasi communist at the time after the Brits left and Indian films depicted workers and peasants struggling against ruthless landlords etc. Right up China’s alley! A lot of 40-60 year old Chinese will know and recognise much about India. It’s the modern emerging Chinese middle class that needs reaching out to. As do the Indians in India for Chinese goods. The Chinese are not exactly popular in Delhi over issues such as Tibet and protests over the Olympic torch. India has to remind China it is a democracy and people have the right to protest. China doesn’t really like - or understand - that. So areas of friction remain. But on the whole, things are getting a lot better, and India-China trade and commerce is an emerging trend.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Chris,
I stumbled across this site the other day and it really gives you a picture of Chinese-Indian interaction, no matter how accurate it is. Let me tell you it does not look good. Seems like the Chinese there don’t like the preachy Indians.
http://forum.atimes.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=2
April 8th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
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