Incredible India sets up camp in Beijing to woo tourists

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

New Delhi, Aug 7 : Expecting the presence of a large number of visitors during the Beijing Olympics, the tourism ministry has launched widespread promotional activities in the Chinese capital to showcase India as a tourist destination.

The activities include a month-long advertising campaign in the important subway stations and junctions in Beijing with specially designed and illuminated images.

Advertisements would also be placed in major newspapers during the Olympics. An Indian evening has been proposed on August 16 with the Indian Embassy. Invitees would include media personnel, major Chinese tour operators as well as members of the delegation of the Indian contingent participating in the Olympic Games. Other proposed events include an exhibition of Indian handicrafts & textiles and photographic exhibition on India, by Mao Xiaoyu, a renowned photographer who has lived and travelled extensively in India. The India tourism office in Beijing, the 14th overseas office of ministry of tourism, was inaugurated in April this year by the tourism and culture minister Ambika Soni.

There is an increase in the number of tourist arrivals from China in the last three years. While 44,897 tourists came to India in 2005, the number increased to 62,330 in 2006. It went up further to 88,103 in 2007.

There is also an increase of Indian tourists travelling to China. While 3,56,460 Indians went to China in 2005, the number touched 405,091 in 2006. The tourism ministry, as part of further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries, also took a delegation of tour operators and travel agents on a familiarisation tour to China.