The first Chinese tour group to visit Britain after the country was named a designated travel destination will take off sometime around July 20, the UK tourism board said yesterday.

The group is expected to consist of 40 people from Shanghai and another 40 from Beijing.

July 15 will be the first day Chinese citizens can obtain UK tourism visas for holiday groups of five or more, the board said.

The local visitors will fly to Britain on Virgin Atlantic Airways, while those from Beijing will fly on British Airways.

During the six-day-and-seven-night trip, they will tour London, and other scenic sites in both England and Scotland, said Charlie Li, Beijing representative of VisitBritain.

The British tours will be priced at about 16,000 yuan (US$1,927), she added.

"These Chinese visitors will be received by some important people from the tourism boards and governments in England and Scotland," Li said.

The number of Chinese people visiting the United Kingdom has more than doubled over the last five years to more than 100,000 with spending rising 60 percent, Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, said.

"Our research indicates that the natural beauty of Britain's landscapes, countryside and beaches, as well as iconic and historic landmarks, our rich cultural heritage and superlative shopping and dining, will all drive Chinese visitors to choose Britain for their holidays," he said.

He said VisitBritain expects to at least double the number of visitors from China to 200,000 in 2010 and China has the potential to be one of Britain's top 10 inbound tourism markets by 2020. Revenues from Chinese tourists is expected to exceed 200 million pounds (US$363 million) in the next five years.

(Shanghai Daily June 3, 2005)