The tourism agreement signed between China and Britain last Friday allowing tourist groups to visit the UK is expected to help initiate a wave of interest in it as a tourist destination. 

    On Sunday, British Airways (BA) announced in Beijing that it plans to boost its share of China market this year. It will increase its Beijing-London service from five to six flights a week and its Hong Kong-London weekly service from 17 to 21 from June. Tim Ramage, General Manager of British Airways China, said that currently there are more than 80,000 passengers flying between China's mainland and the UK every year. 

    Andrew Cahn, BA's director of Government and Industry Affairs, said it has also approached the government for approval to launch flights from London Heathrow to Shanghai this year and the company expects an annual increase of 15 to 20 percent of travelers in the coming years.