New Delhi, July 30 (IANS): To ramp up arrival of Chinese tourists in India, the tourism ministry organised tourist facilitator programmes for tour operators handling tourists from the communist nation, union minister Mahesh Sharma said.

"The ministry of tourism organised a Chinese Tourist Facilitator Programme in 2014 for the executives and tour managers of operators handling Chinese tourists," the minister of state for tourism, culture and civil aviation said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

A total of 118 Chinese tourist facilitators were trained through this programme.

As per an official release on Thursday, the minister said 2015 is being observed as the 'Visit India Year' in China, in a bid to encourage tourists from China to come to India.

Various promotional activities are being held to showcase and promote varied tourism destinations and products of India in China, with the objective of increasing foreign tourist arrivals from China, Mahesh Sharma added.

The activities include advertising in the local print and outdoor media, participation in travel fairs and exhibitions, organising 'Know India' seminars and workshops for Chinese tour operators in different cities and inviting media personalities, tour operators, opinion makers to visit the country under the hospitality scheme of the ministry.