Overseas visitors to Beijing are have been invited to a series of post-SARS banquets in China's capital in an attempt to revive the local tourism industry.

Beijing's authorities have come up with a rather unusual idea to get tourists back into China's capital: package tours with dinner invitations to China's most important political building.

It is estimated that Beijing will lose more than $8 billion this year in tourism revenue because of SARS.

But authorities are hoping they have hit upon a plan to bring tourists in.

The next 1,500 overseas visitors are invited as guests of honour to a series of banquets at the Great Hall of People, the site of the annual National People's Congress, and usually off limits to outsiders.

Dinner will be served from next week.

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