海角大神

India is joining the global pursuit of some of China鈥檚 most valuable assets 鈥� its big-spending tourists.

With a campaign in 12 Chinese cities this spring, the world鈥檚 second-most populous nation hopes to capture the imagination of travelers from the most populated country. The promotion, called 鈥淕limpses of India,鈥� kicked off last month in Beijing with music and dance performances at the showpiece Poly Theatre.听In March, India changed the rules to make it easier for Chinese visitors to get visas.听

The moves are showing a gentler side to China-India relations, which have been tested by border disputes and economic rivalry. But there's no guarantee Chinese tourists, of which nearly 100 million traveled overseas last year, will bite.

Simply put,听many Chinese tourists not all that interested in India.听鈥淚f I spend a lot of money on international travel, I would expect to stay in nice places and eat good food, as well as go for lots of shopping. I don鈥檛 think India has what I want to find on holiday,鈥� says Li Yang, a human resources manager in Beijing who has taken trips to Thailand and Britain.

As China鈥檚 traveling classes have swelled into the world鈥檚 biggest tourism spenders, only 100,000 of them visited India in 2012 and about 160,000 last year. Far more are drawn to Europe, despite the higher cost:听France draws 1.4 million Chinese tourists a year. By contrast, 600,000 Indian tourists went to China in 2012.听

Moneyed tourists from China tend to gravitate toward Europe and the United States, with luxury shopping high on their to-do list. High-profile news about rape in India, along with a perception that the country is crowded and messy have done little to endear India as a tourist destination.

China鈥檚 travelers often pick destinations with vacation packages designed specifically for Chinese tourists. India is seen as an off-the-beaten-path destination that requires work and planning, a mode of independent travel that most Chinese vacationers eschew. Plus, Indian visas have been notoriously more difficult to come by than those for other, more developed destinations.听

India has responded with bureaucratic changes that promise a two-day visa turnaround for tourists from China. And many Chinese who've already toured India came away with a positive impression of the country.

鈥淎lthough Sino-Indian relations are not always close, Indian people are very passionate and friendly to Chinese people,鈥� says Taozijia de Xueli, a Shenzhen resident who visited India in 2012. 鈥淲hether drivers, waiters in hotels, passersby, the young Indian people whom we met asked to take photos with us鈥�.all of them were very kind, sincere and ready to help.鈥�

Others aren鈥檛 so sure.

鈥淢y idea of India is that it鈥檚 crowded and not clean, and very dangerous if I am traveling alone,鈥� says Cat Lee, a Beijing student who is saving for an overseas vacation next year, possibly in Malaysia. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 plan to go there.鈥�

On the other side of the coin, there has been some trepidation from Indians about the reputation of Chinese vacationers. High-profile incidents in several countries of boorish Chinese tourists have put a shadow over the millions who go abroad without incident.
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But as China鈥檚 tourism numbers to India are still so low, actually examples of tourism-related tension are limited. In China, travel agents say tourists are working out trip plans.
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Han Yushi, who works for a travel agency in Beijing, says the current India visa process is woefully inefficient. Though Mr. Han applauds the new guidelines, he says that having dealt with India's embassy for many years, he is not convinced the process will be entirely smooth.
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鈥淐hina and India always talk about friendship,鈥� but it's not always carried out, he says. 听