PH, China approve tourism deal

The Philippines is set to sign with China an agreement on tourism cooperation, which is expected to usher in more Chinese tourists visiting the country, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and Li Jinzao, chair of China National Tourism Administration, are scheduled to sign a memorandum of agreement on Oct. 20 in the presence of the heads of states of the two countries.

“China’s invitation to President Duterte for state visit in Beijing bodes well for Philippine tourism, as the Chinese comprise the country’s second biggest visitor group,” Teo said in a statement.

Teo will also meet with investors and Chinese tour operators to promote the Philippines as a visitor’s haven.

“We’d like them to rediscover the Philippines, the bountiful trade and industrial hub where Chinese traders came to long before Spanish colonization,” Teo said. —ERIKA SAULER