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Further capitalising on its initial forays into China, Kerala Tourism showcased the very best of ‘God’s Own Country’ at the Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) 2016, one of the world’s most prestigious travel and trade fairs.
It was for the second time the south Indian state was featured at the annual forum in the Chinese capital which brings together major players in the hugely lucrative Chinese outbound tourism market, widely considered the world’s largest by volume.
A whopping 120 million of Chinese tourists travelled worldwide in 2015, an increase of 12 per cent. With most of these tourists preferring to holiday in Asian destinations, Kerala is well positioned to experience a surge in Chinese visitors.
This fact was highlighted again by the presence of a high-level Kerala delegation at BITE 2016. Mr. U.V. Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism, led the team that saw a judicious representation from the state’s leading hoteliers, Ayurvedic resorts and tour operators.
“The state aspires to augment the strong destination pull it already enjoys. The modern traveller in general and the Chinese visitor in particular, is always expanding his/her horizons, seeking out ever newer experiences,” said
Mr. U. V. Jose.
To this end, the expansive Kerala pavilion sought to renew the focus on the state’s rich legacy of martial arts, holistic medical traditions, the beauty of its backwaters and its snake boat races.
Mr. Bandaru Wilsonbabu, First Secretary, Indian Embassy, Beijing, visited the Kerala pavilion and offered the mission’s full support in helping promote the state in China.
Tourists from China are considered the highest-spending in the world. In 2014, Chinese tourists to India numbered nearly 2 lakh. The same period saw an increase of Chinese tourist inflow to Kerala.
Following a visit to Kochi last year by the Chinese Ambassador to India, the city became the first in India to gain membership to the Beijing-headquartered World Tourism Cities Federation Council, a 135-member league of leading tourism cities from across the globe.
