MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile and UK accepted destinations for Chinese tourists

Chile, United Kingdom and Jamaica as of next July 15 have been added to the list of 64 destinations which Chinese tourists are authorized to visit, according to Beijing's Tourism Management Office.

China signed agreements with the three countries, which means Beijing has accepted them as Authorized Tourism Destinations, ATD.

Chinese tourists in groups and until the end of 2005 have been authorized to visit over a hundred destinations in countries that have qualified with the ATD status.

Chinese tourists were allowed to travel overseas for pleasure beginning in 1997 and by 2002 China had become the world's seventh spender with 15,4 billion US dollars, an 11% increase over 2001 and with an average per capita expenditure of 175 US dollars.

Until now Chinese tourists can visit 18 countries and regions in Europe; 10 in Africa; 3 in Oceania and one in America.

Last year the number of Chinese tourists overseas reached 28,85 million, and by 2020 according to World Tourism Organization, the number is expected to balloon to 100 million.