On Feb 10, Zhu Shanzhong, Vice Chairman of China National Tourism Administration, met with Thailand ambassador to China H.E.Mr. Rathakit Manathat, South Korea ambassador to China Mr. Park Young-Dae, and Sri Lanka ambassador to China H.E.Mr. Karunatilaka Amunugama in Beijing.

Zhu Shanzhong extended warm welcome to their visit on behalf of Shao Qiwei, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration.

While meeting with H.E.Mr. Rathakit Manathat, Zhu Shanzhong said that the tourism exchange between China and Thailand had witnessed sound development, and with the development of outbound tour, the Chinese tourists to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries would increase constantly; although the Chinese visitors to Thailand decreased last year, Thailand would still be one of the tour destinations for Chinese visitors; and it was expected that Thailand could constantly update their travel products and reinforce the publicity and promotion in medium and small cities of China so as to attract more Chinese visitors.

H.E.Mr. Rathakit Manathat indicated that Thailand would reinforce the communication and cooperation with China in tourism industry and constantly enlarge visitor scale. In addition, both sides exchanged views on establishing Tourism Cooperation Working Team.

While meeting with Mr. Park Young-Dae, who is about to leave office, Zhu Shanzhong said that the tourism cooperation between China and South Korea had been going on smoothly in recent years. He expressed his gratitude to Mr. Park Young-Dae for his endeavors in promoting the tourism and culture exchanges between China and South Korea and expected him to make more contribution to it in the future.

Mr. Park Young-Dae expressed appreciation to China National Tourism Administration for his support and help to his work and indicated that he would constantly show concern to the tourism and culture industry development of China and South Korea.

While meeting with H.E.Mr. Karunatilaka Amunugama, Zhu Shanzhong said that Chinese side always attached importance to the tourism cooperation with Sri Lanka and would constantly promote the tourism exchange between the two sides; although the visitor scale was not large now, the development room was very large; and it was expected that Sri Lanka would reinforce the tourism publicity in China and Chinese side would grant necessary help to it.

H.E.Mr. Karunatilaka Amunugama said that the relations between China and Sri Lanka had been cemented in recent years and the tourism exchange and cooperation had been constantly increasing; in March this year, the Ministry of Tourism of Sri Lanka launched new travel logo and publicity slogan in the globe and would select China as the first leg in its global publicity, which could reflect the great importance attached to Chinese tourism market.