China´s BITTM 2006 Put Good Numbers on the Board

BITTM 2006 came to a close with a bang. China´s major travel tradeshow welcomed 2,541 visitors and turnout on the first two days of BITTM surpassed the total visitor numbers at the 2005 event.

As many as 124 tourist boards, tour operators, travel agents and hotel groups from 34 countries exhibited at BITTM, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about destinations and providing a platform for organizations to establish new business partnerships.

A grand total of 448 handpicked hosted buyers from the top tour operators and travel agencies in China attended BITTM to do business and network with international tourism professionals.

The event attracted high profile Chinese and international tourism experts to speak at the conference, including Geoffrey Lipman, special advisor to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Hot topics on the conference agenda included future trends and the effects of Chinese tourism on overseas destinations.

A panel session also focused on ways to penetrate the Chinese outbound travel market. Members of the panel comprised experts on tourism, international and European tour operators, media specialists, and an airline company.

This session provided visiting exhibitors from tourism promotion boards and private companies with practical information and advice on how to successfully market to Chinese consumers.