The Australian Department of Resources, Energy, and Tourism and the China National Tourism Administration have signed a China-Australia Tourism Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and the Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.

The MOU, which was signed in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, is intended to further strengthen the partnership between the two countries in tourism. Based on the success of Approved Destination Status, it is also expected to enhance the service quality of the tourism industry in both countries, creating a service industry with high customer satisfaction.

Andrew McEvoy,the managing director of Tourism Australia, said the signing of the MOU will help Tourism Australia develop segmented markets in China and provide quality services for study tours and company incentive travel.