US visa pact a boost to travelers' spending

Think tank predicts ongoing surge in number of Chinese going abroad

The extension of tourist visas between the United States and China, from one year to 10 years, will provide a huge boost to the travel industries of both countries, says one of China's leading travel experts.

Jiang Yiyi, director of international tourism development at the China Tourism Academy, a top tourism think-tank based in Beijing, says the new US arrangement, along with the lowering of other visa restrictions for Chinese tourists elsewhere in the world, is likely to result in a steady 20 percent annual growth in the number of those traveling abroad.