Tourism officials from China and Uganda signed a memorandum here Monday formally recognizing Uganda's status as one of China's approved tourism destinations.

The memorandum was signed by director Shao Qiwei of China's National Tourism Administration and his Ugandan counterpart.

Shao said the agreement will help expand Chinese consumers' options on outbound tourism to eastern Africa and boost Sino-African cultural and business exchange.

Located in eastern Africa, Uganda boasts many scenic spots such as Elizabeth National Park and the source of the world famous Nile River in a land area of 240,000 square kilometers.

More than 28.5 million journeys were made by Chinese citizens abroad in 2004. China has become the world's fastest growing outbound tourism source nation in the world. Chinese group travelers can now visit about 64 nations and regions.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2005)