The first Beijing tourist group to Ireland will set out in mid-July. Organized by five famous local travel agencies, the group will consist of 60 people.

Tourists will visit Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Cobh and Cork in Ireland, followed by visits to London and Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Ireland welcomes Chinese tourists. Tourism has become a pillar industry in Ireland, with its ancient castles and churches as well as attractive coastline. Famous for its rich music and literature traditions, the nation has fostered renowned poets and novelists, said Declan Kelleher, ambassador of Ireland to China.

For most Chinese tourists, Ireland is a familiar name but a faraway place. The first group indicated confidence in popular Chinese travel agencies to explore high-end leisure and holiday products, said Sun Changwei, a senior manager of the China Youth Travel Service.

China and Ireland signed a tourism agreement last May. Ireland became a tourism destination for Chinese citizens in September. The Ireland Tourism Bureau printed new promotion materials and launched a new Chinese website, said Li Wei, chief representative of the Ireland Tourism Bureau.

There are no direct flights between China and Ireland yet. China and Aer Lingus already signed a bilateral cooperation agreement. Air China now flies to many hubs in Europe and hopes toprovide more convenience to Chinese tourists to Europe, said Jia Tiesheng, senior manager of Air China, who sponsored the trip.

Experts said from September last year, Europe has become the fastest growing region in the Chinese outbound market. Famous travel agencies have joined hands to regulate the trip to Europe and set a good example for the rational consumption of all tourists.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2005)