INFOCUS|INDIA-CHINA|FRIENDSHIP YEAR
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India-China Friendship Year: Inauguration of ‘Beautiful China’ ceremony in Kolkata by CNTA
anuary 25 witnessed the Inauguration Ceremony of ‘Beautiful China, 2014-Year of Smart Travel’. The 2-day public promotion of China tourism was organized E\ &KLQD 1DWLRQDO 7RXULVW 2IÂżFH 1HZ 'HOKL DW 6RXWK &LW\ Mall, Kolkata. In 2014, the campaign of ‘Beautiful China’ will continue in the Indian market, targeting not only the 1st tier, but also the 2nd and 3rd tier tourists-generating FLWLHV $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH ÂżJXUHV UHOHDVHG E\ &KLQD National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the Indian arrivals to mainland China reached about 6.77 lakh in 2013, recording an increase of 10.9 per cent over WKH \HDU RI 7KH ÂżUVW VWRS GLUHFW YLVLWV IURP PDLQODQG China to India were about 1.45 lakh, an increase of 6.2 per
|60| India-China Chronicle ƒ March 2014
cent over the year of 2012. Travel and tourism has made a great contribution to the bilateral exchanges between China-India. The ‘Year of Smart Travel 2014’ has been designated to CNTA to promote the optimal combination of information technology and tourism industry including travel products design, travel service upgradation and tourism market developments. Present at the inauguration event were Mr Wang Xuefeng, Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, Mr Zhou Zengrong, *HQHUDO 0DQDJHU &KLQD (DVWHUQ 'HOKL 2IÂżFH 0U - 3 6KDZ 5HJLRQDO 'LUHFWRU (DVW ,QGLD 7RXULVP 0U 6 / 6RQL Chairman, IATO Western Bengal Chapter, as well as some local tour operators. ‰