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UK to benefit from influx of Chinese tourists
The UK is in line for an inbound tourism boost from China after the lifting of travel restrictions.
The UK is to gain Approved Destination Status from China, paving the way for Chinese leisure travellers to visit Britian.
Previously the Chinese government has only allowed travel to the UK for study and business-related reasons.
Inbound travel trade body UKinbound estimates that if the UK can attract just one per cent of Chinese overseas travellers by 2007, it will gain more than £1 billion for the British economy and create 25,000 jobs.
The group’s chief executive Stephen Dowd said: “This agreement will provide a new range of opportunities for the UK’s inbound tourism industry and should prove a major boost to our tourism export earnings for many years to come.”
The number of outbound Chinese tourists reached 20 million in 2003, a figure that is expected to rise to 100 million by 2020, according to the World Tourism Organisation.
UKinbound is to join turism minister Richard Caborn and other industry leaders on a ministerial mission to Beijing to mark the signing of ADS and the opening of the first UK visa application centre in China.
Report by Phil Davies
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