The Chinese ambassador to Spain, Lyu Fan, with president Francina Armengol, in Palma earlier this year. | CAIB

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An agreement has been struck between Iberia and Hainan airlines which will connect Majorca to six Chinese cities.

Tourists will be able to fly from Beijing, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Chongquing, Shanghai and Schenzhen to Madrid and then on to Palma using a shared code which gives passengers the option to fly on to Palma and guarantees other flight options if they miss their connections.

According to the Director of Clients & Development at the Iberia network, María Jesús López, “this air connectivity is expected to boost tourism activity in China and in Spain and forge closer trade ties between the countries.

The Chinese ambassador to Spain, Lyu Fan, announced during an institutional visit to Palma last March that the Chinese Government was planning to promote Majorca as a tourist destination saying “there is a market to bring tourists from my country to the island.”

The Minister of Tourism of the Consell, Andreu Serra, said yesterday “the agreement reached between Hainan and Iberia airlines is extremely important and opens the door to a new level of Chinese tourism." He added that “the only contact that the Council had with China up until now was made through the Mallorca Film Commission, so extra promotion in China will increase tourism to Majorca, which is the ultimate goal."