City hoping for Chinese tourists

Birmingham could soon experience a large increase in the number of Chinese tourists, the city council hopes.

The authority is hoping to take advantage of the relaxation in rules governing where Chinese citizens can travel, which comes in next month.

It hopes attractions like its three Premiership football clubs will help to make the city a popular destination for Chinese visitors.

Council leader Mike Whitby said the visitors can expect a warm welcome.

'Truly international'

Chinese people could previously only visit Britain on business or as students.

But Britain's recent securing of "approved destination status" means package tours to the country can be sold in China for the first time.

Mr Whitby said: "With a truly international offering as a city, the Chinese tourists - as with those from all corners of the globe - will receive a very warm welcome.

"The food, the culture, the retail offering the architecture and the football goes towards making this city what it is."

Marketing Birmingham chief executive Neil Rami said: "Figures we have seen show the number of Chinese tourists to this country is expected to double to 200,000 a year by 2010 and exceed half a million a decade after that."