Chinese tourists can pack their bags to four more countries this spring, after India, the Maldives, South Africa and Sri Lanka were approved as holiday destinations.

A group of 34 Chinese tourists left Beijing Wednesday a day after the National Tourism Administration approvals came into effect for a five-day trip to the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives.

The tourists, who have paid 9,900 yuan (US$1,200) each for the trip, are likely to be the first of many Chinese travelers to the new destination.

Meanwhile, another 120-plus Chinese tourists left for South Africa on Tuesday, on the same day the country was awarded 'approved destination' status by China.

However, there have been no such maiden trips to India and Sri Lanka because of a lack of demand for the two routes, according to sources with China Comfort Travel Co Ltd, which jointly organized the trips to South Africa and the Maldives with two other Chinese travel agencies.

Chinese citizens can now visit 34 outbound destinations, including Egypt, Germany, Thailand and Singapore, as tourists.

Last year, 16.6 million Chinese went abroad, including 10.06 million, who traveled for personal reasons, up 37 percent and 45 percent respectively from the previous year.

India and other countries have been promoting themselves in China in the hope of attracting more Chinese tourists and forging closer ties with China's tourist industry.

More than 20 Indian travel agencies in Beijing yesterday participated in a tourism seminar with about 50 Chinese counterparts, introducing Indian tourism products and discussing how to explore the tourism potentials of both countries.

The Indian ambassador to China, Shivshankar Menon, said at the seminar that the Indian Government would extend all possible facilities to tourist groups, agents and tour operators to promote Sino-Indian tourism.

He said in the first three months of this year, the number of visas granted to Chinese citizens increased 35 percent over the same period last year, and his embassy would streamline visa processing.

Last year, 80,000 Indian tourists came to China, and with new direct air links in place, the number was certain to rise, the ambassador said.

(China Daily April 3, 2003)