China adds Georgia as travel destination

BEIJING - Georgia has officially become a new travel destination for Chinese citizens, according to an agreement reached between tourism authorities of the two countries.

The decision was announced Friday after officials of the two countries signed an Approved Destination Status (ADS) Memorandum of Understanding Friday in Beijing.

Zhu Shanzhong, vice director of the National Tourism Administration, said the signing and implementation of the MOU is expected to bring a new wave of Chinese tourists to the country.

He also suggested Georgian tourism authorities to focus on promotion in China and develop more tourism products that are particularly tailored for Chinese tourists.

Tourists have flocked to Georgia in recent years to bath in hot springs in the capital Tbilisi or relax on the country's Black Sea coast beaches.