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Last update - 00:00 15/09/2008
Chinese government approves Israel as tourist destination
By Hannah Glass
Tags: Israel travel, Israel tourism 
A major boost to the number of Chinese tourists visiting Israel is expected as a result of the announcement.

The first tour of Chinese tourists will be leaving for Israel on September 25, following an agreement between the Chinese and Israeli governments approving Israel as a destination for Chinese tour groups.

Eighty tourists will take part in a 10-day trip to some of the country's key sites including Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and Eilat, Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila told a press conference in China earlier this month.

So far, 2008 has already seen a significant rise in the number of Chinese business tourists coming to Israel.
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"Our target is to bring some 15,000 Chinese tourists by the end of 2008," said Foreign Press Adviser to the Tourism Ministry, Lydia Weitzman. The agreement will also ease the entrance visa process.

To prepare for the expected increase in Chinese tourists to Israel, the tourism minister has announced the opening of a branch of the Israel Tourism Ministry in Beijing.

Efforts are also being made in Israel to cater for the influx, by training Chinese-speaking tour guides, recruiting Chinese-speaking employees in the hotel and tourism industry and translating maps and brochures into Chinese.

Chinese tourists will also have access to the Tourphone, a round-the-clock service recently launched by the Ministry of Tourism, which offers information, directions and emergency assistance.

Following the announcement by the Chinese government, China Air, China's largest airline, is re-examining the operability of commercial flights between Israel and China. Currently, three flights a week are operated by Israel's flagship carrier, El Al, from Beijing to Tel Aviv.

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