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)
