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)