Taking forward the China-India Tourism Year 2016, Sichuan Tourism Administration is aiming at a 20 per cent growth in number of Indian visitors to the province.
"We are expecting a 20 per cent growth in the number of Indian visitors to Sichuan in 2016. In 2015, 20,000 Indians visited our province," Sichuan Tourism Administration Deputy Director General Song Ming told PTI.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a conference today to boost tourism from India to Sichuan.
This conference is an "important launchpad for us to boost tourism from India to Sichuan and is a precursor of an action plan that includes a number of incentives and trial measures for travelers as well as tour operators from India", he added.
Highlighting the province as a 'fascinating' tourism destination like India, Sichuan Executive Vice-Governor Wang Ning said: "I firmly believe that in future the cooperation between Sichuan and India will deepen and become more close."
Just like India, Sichuan has rich ancient heritage, cultural diversity and centuries of old civilisation which we take immense pride in, he added.
Located in South West China, Sichuan has over 4,000 tourist attractions, which include scenic spots, five world heritage sites, four world biosphere reserves, two world geo parks and 21 of China's top tourist cities.
The province is home to 80 per cent of the world's giant pandas. It has established economic and trade relations with over 200 countries, with more than half of fortune 500 companies operating in Sichuan.
