Five new nations including Mongolia, Tonga, Bahamas, Grenada and Saint Lucia will be added on the list for Chinese outbound visitors from March 1.

According to a source from the China National Tourism Administration, China already signed tourism memorandum with the above nations. By then, Chinese visitors will be allowed to travel to 81 nations and regions.

Some 31 million Chinese people traveled overseas last year, and the number is about to grow by 10 percent in 2006 to reach 34 million. China already became the biggest tourism source nation in Asia. According to the prediction of the World Tourism Organization, China will be the world's fourth biggest tourism source nation by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2006)