With more than two billion people between them, it is surprising that China and India count the number of tourists visiting each others countries in the hundreds of thousands and not the millions.

China and India are experiencing rapid economic growth and a growing middle class who want to travel to overseas destinations, so the potential for the tourism industries of both countries is enormous.

The countries' two governments have focused on growing tourism links, with the first Chinese tourism office opened in New Delhi in 2007 and an Indian tourism office opened in Beijing earlier this month.

India's diverse array of food has also been the focus of a week-long festival in Shanghai.

The week-long celebration of all things Indian also featured a unique dance and music performance before a full-house at the Shanghai Concert Hall.

The Indian Vice Minister of Tourism Shilabhadra Banerjee visited Shanghai this week as part of the celebrations.

At a dinner to launch the food festival Banerjee said the expansion of tourism links between the two countries offered both a potent economic opportunity and a chance to further extend the friendly relationship between the close neighbors.

About 500,000 Indians travel to China each year and about 100,000 Chinese travel to India. While the numbers are relatively small - China has 40 million out-bound passengers each year - the number of travelers between the two countries is rapidly increasing.

"When you talk India, you talk about diversity and a spectrum of moods, colors, foods, dance, music and people," the Shanghai Indian Consul General, Vishnu Prakash said.

Prakash said, along with the headline attractions like the Taj Mahal, the historic city of Varanasi and desert beauty of Rajasthan, Chinese tourist were also traveling to India to practice yoga, see Buddhist sites and learn more about Ayurvedic medicine.

Air India recently began direct flights from Shanghai to India, cutting travel time to just six hours to New Delhi and nine hours to Mumbai, flights previously went via Bangkok. Air India runs four flights a week.

Last year, the ancient Incan city was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, raising hopes for 2008 tourism.

But the goal is not just to get people in the country, the government said. It is to increase what people spend.

"It is important to distinguish between quantity and quality. We want a balance," said Mara Seminario, director of Peru's state-run tourism group.

Each year, travelers contribute some $2 billion to Peru's economy and the government says a thriving tourism sector helps lift incomes in a country where 12 million people, some 45 percent of the population, live in poverty.

"The election of Machu Picchu as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World was a first step. The real goal is to promote tourism to help regional economic development," said Seminario.