MEXICO CITY, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Mexico City's Tourism Secretary Alejandro Rojas said on Thursday he had proposed the Federal Government to abolish the visas for Chinese tourists.

    The measure would help attract more Chinese travelers to the country, Rojas said while addressing the opening of the first China-Mexico International Conference of Tourism.

    Among millions of Chinese travelers going abroad, only some 18,000 come to Mexico City each year, Rojas said.

    If the visa abolishment is achieved, the number of Chinese tourists to Mexico will immediately increase, which will contribute to the country's economic growth, Rojas said.

    It is time to "change the current strategy and get ready for the future," the tourism official said.

    Rojas also hailed the direct flight between Mexico City and Shanghai of China, which opened in May 2008, saying "it has eased the transport of Chinese people to the country and bring China close to Latin America."