(Yicai Global) Sept. 7 -- Chinabecamethe world's biggest sourceofoutbound tourists last year with 129 million trips,statistics from Ctrip International.Com show, butthe India-bound Chinese tourist count was merely 300,000last year, a paltry headcount which Indianaturally finds a bit galling.

Sinceit has been attracting too fewtravelers from its northeastern neighbor, India has beenscrambling toelevate thearrival figures, Alphons Kannanthanam,the country'stourismminister,toldYicai Global on his recent2018 Indian Tourism RoadshowinChina.

China and India are among the several countries with the fastest economic growth,buttourist counts between the two countriesremainvery low, Kannanthanamlamented.The showingon theChinesesidewasbetterlast year, he remarked,with 1.4 million Indian tourists visiting(fromthe mainland, Hong Kong and Macau) whiletheIndia-bound Chineseheadcount was only 300,000.

Hehas setthegoalof luring1.4 million,or1 percent of China'soverseas travelers, in the short term--i.e.within several years--while in the long term this figureshouldreach 14 million,or10 percent of China'soutbound tourist count, he said.To achieve either will be quite difficult, though, he noted.

Thetourismministry plans topromote Indiaas a travel destinationin Chinese print, TV and social media. It has also allocated abudget of USD100 millionto alsoset up an office in Beijing , Kannanthanam said.

Theministry hasalsoopened tourism hotlinesin12 languages including Chineseto allaytourists' securityfears,while14 Indian states havedeployedspecialtourism police,who deemthesafetyof foreign visitors theirtop priority,Kannanthanam said.

As health is another focus of concern, India hasinstitutedmajortreatmentactions nationwide, he added.Ithas built manymedicalfacilitiesto ahigher than local standard in key scenic spotsoralongthe routes to these,Yicai Globalnotedona visit to India this year.

Hangzhou-basedAlibaba Group Holding invested in [boughta 40 percent share of]India's biggest electronic payment system PayTMlast year,soprocessingChinese tourists' customary electronic paymentsviathe two companies'cooperationshouldnotpresentany technical obstacles, Kannanthanamobserved.

Editor: Ben Armour