First charter plane of Chinese tourists arrives in Liege
Xinhua, April 21, 2015 Adjust font size:
The first charter plane of 377 Chinese tourists landed on Monday morning at Bierset airport in Liege, eastern Belgium.
The Russian company I-Fly plane was chartered by the Chinese operator U-Tour. The tour operator aims to hold three flights per week to Liege Airport from Shenyang, Xi'an and Tianjin.
Upon arrival, Chinese travelers were received by a welcoming committee including the Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and the Vice-President of the Walloon government Jean-Claude Marcourt.
They also each received a small parcel of Belgian chocolate and were greeted by a group performing a Liege folk dance.
The tourists will go for a European tour lasting eight days by bus to France, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Scandinavian countries.
The tour operators chose Liege airport for its location in the heart of Europe, they said.
In 2015, more than 50,000 Chinese passengers are expected to arrive at Liege Airport, according to the airport, which added that Mandarin-speaking staff had been hired. Endit