BEIJING, Aug 18: Pakistan and China have decided to strengthen their cooperation to promote tourism industry and develop people-to-people contacts.

As a major step to this direction, the two sides exchanged lists of approved tour operators and travelling agencies to arrange group tours to each other’s country, said a senior official of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

He said that this was done in pursuance of an agreement, signed between the two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Mir Zafaruallah Khan Jamali to Beijing in May this year.

China has already accorded the Authorized Destination Status to Pakistan, removing restrictions on its citizens travelling in groups to the country.

Deputy head of mission in Pakistan Embassy Syed Hasan Javed hoped there would be tremendous increase in the number of visitors to Pakistan in the coming months.—APP