THE Granite City is hoping to cash in on the world's biggest spending tourists - by launching a Chinese version of its tourism website.

VisitAberdeen hopes the move will boost its share of the £128 billion China spends every year on overseas leisure and business - an average of 50 per cent more than Americans.

Steve Harris, chief executive of the tourism body, said: "The Chinese language website will provide us with the opportunity to reach one of the wealthiest markets in the world, and promote Aberdeen as a leisure and business tourism destination.

"Less than 1% of the population in China can speak English, so the creation of the new site will allow us to reach the 638 million Chinese people who are online and make $22 billion worth of internet travel bookings every year.

"Aberdeen has so much to offer the Chinese market. We know from a Visit Britain survey that countryside, cultural and built heritage rank highly with Chinese tourists.

"Aberdeen has a wealth of these attractions, from the collection of castles which have a rich cultural legacy, to city landmarks like Marischal College, whisky distilleries and breath-taking countryside views."