Denmark tourism delegation attempts to lure Chinese visitors

The number of Chinese visitors to Denmark will grow at an annual rate of 20 to 30 percent over the next few years, Ole Sohn, Danish minister for business and growth, has predicted during a visit to Beijing.

Sohn is leading a delegation consisting of officials from Danish tourism associations, airlines, hotels and travel agencies on a week-long burst of tourism promotion.

Chinese tourists spent 83,000 nights in Denmark last year, up 18 percent year on year, show figures from the Danish embassy in Beijing.

The growth has been helped by a new direct flight launched between Shanghai and Copenhagen earlier this year, as well as Denmark's many attractions.

"Touring Copenhagen on a bicycle is a great way to discover its beautiful scenery," said Sonh of a city in which more than a third of inhabitants use bicycles to commute every day.

"Dedicated bicycle lanes can take tourists to every part of the city," he added. "We even have a Cycle Super Highway, which provides a unique, safer and faster biking experience."

Flemming Bruhn, director of the Danish Official Tourism Organization, said Denmark is a good destination for trade visits -- labelled "Mice" tourism, short for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions.

"Several thousand Chinese technical groups visit Denmark each year," according to Bruhn. The groups mainly study farming, the dairy industry, green technology, city planning and environmental protection.

For travelers with kids, the official recommended a one-day tour of Legoland, a theme park in which children can play with millions of Lego building bricks in Billund, near the original Lego factory.

The Danish delegation will travel to Tianjin and Shanghai after the Beijing leg, meeting with Chinese tourism industry insiders to discuss cooperation opportunities.

More and more countries are eyeing China to increase their share of the international tourism market. France recently launched a campaign to promote wine tours. Scotland invited Chinese travelers to play golf and drink the country's celebrated whisky. The United States and Canada eased visa rules in the beginning of this year to boost tourism.

China's outbound tourism has grown quickly in recent years. In 2011, Chinese people made 70.25 million overseas trips, up 22 percent year on year, making the country Asia's largest source of outbound tourists.