China And U.S. Sign Tourism Cooperation Protocol

Shao Qiwei, the director of the Chinese National Tourism Administration, and Roger Dow, the president of the U.S. Travel Association, signed a Sino-U.S. Tourism Cooperation Protocol at the Third China-US State Tourism Directors Summit held in Orlando, Florida.

The two parties have reached agreement in improving the status of the tourism industry, enhancing mutual publicity and promotion, boosting twinning or friendship between Chinese provinces and U.S. states, establishing a Sino-U.S. travel emergency response mechanism, and facilitating the procedures for mutual visiting between China and the U.S.

Shao commented in his speech that China and the U.S. have great potential for tourism cooperation since the population of the two countries totals 1.5 billion. The China-U.S. State Tourism Directors Summit should be a good opportunity for the two countries' tourism industries to build a cooperation platform and deepen Sino-U.S. tourism exchanges.