In piece of interesting commerce news, the US and China have come to an agreement that would facilitate the acquirement of tourist visas for outbound chinese tourists.  After years of negotiations the US becomes the 134th country on China’s Approved Destination Status (ADS) list.  Currently the US issues only business travel visas.

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) says that the agreement will provide a strong motivation for bilateral ties in such sectors as the economy, trade, and culture, as well as invigorating the tourism industry.

US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez says “the agreement will open a large and growing market for the US travel and tourism industry.”  The US Department of Commerce estimates that the number of Chines vistors would reach 579,000 annually, by 2011, up from 320,000 last year.

For more information, click here.