Chinese tourists can now travel to five new destinations -- Argentina, Venezuela, Uganda, Bangladesh and Andorra, the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said on Tuesday.

The CNTA said the five countries have gained Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government, which means that Chinese tour groups are allowed to visit them.

It added that China and the five countries concerned have signed the requisite memorandums and completed the necessary preparations.

Travel agencies with CNTA franchise licenses are expected to work with recommended agencies in the destination countries to launch group travel tours from January 1, 2007, according to the CNTA.

So far, 129 nations and regions have Chinese ADS status, and 89 of them receive tour groups. More than 31 million outbound journeys were made by Chinese citizens last year, and the CNTA estimates that these will top 34 million this year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2006)