The Chinese government awarded Syria approved destination status for Chinese tour groups on Tuesday.

 

Gu Chaoxi, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration and Mohamed Kheir Al-Wadi, Syrian ambassador to China, signed two documents on Tuesday, including a bilateral tourism memorandum of understanding (MOU) and a cooperation plan.

 

Mohamed Kheir Al-Wadi said China and Syria had a long history of friendship and exchanges going back to the Silk Road period.

 

"We will work together to promote bilateral tourism exchanges," he said.

 

Syria's tourism income reached US$2.3 billion last year and it expects to welcome 12 million foreign travelers by 2015.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2006)