Tourism cooperation deal signed between Israel and China
Chinese tourism official says he expects thousands of Chinese tourists to come to Israel in 2006.
By Irit Rosenblum and Haaretz CorrespondentIsraeli and Chinese representatives signed a tourism cooperation deal on Saturday in the Dan Carmel hotel in Haifa on Saturday, in a ceremony that marked the end of a Chinese delegation's week-long visit to promote Chinese tourism in Israel
The cooperation deal follows China's June granting of Approved Destination Status to Israel. The delegation, from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, was brought to Israel under a joint initiative of the Union of Local Authorities and tourism organizations around Israel.
The visit included tours of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Jerusalem, the Galilee, Haifa, Caesarea, Acre and Nazareth.
The head of the Chinese delegation, director general of Asian and African tourism relations, Phang Zuko, said that Israel is an appropriate and interesting tourist destination for the Chinese, and said he expects thousands of Chinese tourists to reach Israel in 2006.
About 30 million Chinese citizens traveled abroad in 2004, 50,000 of which reached Egypt and Turkey. During a recent tourism convention of the "Ankara Forum" the Turkish, Israeli and Palestinian participants agreed to cooperate in marketing local tourism in the far east and particularly in China.
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