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Beijing International Tourism Expo 2004

2004/07/14
text by Daragh Moller

Beijing International Tourism Expo 2004 to open amid great excitement for the future of China's tourism.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) was tremendously excited after analysts recently predicted that with an annual growth rate of 10 percent, China may become the world's No. 1 tourism destination by 2020. This is timely news because the Beijing International Tourism Expo 2004 is scheduled to open at the Beijing Exhibition Centre on July 22.

The prospect of China becoming a world-leading tourist destination was greeted as good news by an industry hit hard by last years drop in visitorship because of SARS.

Sponsored by the Beijing Tourism Administration (BTA) and organised by Conference and Exhibition Management Services Limited (CEMS), the event promises an exciting and invigorating environment for tourist-sector industries to meet, exchange information and develop business ties.

This year's forecast indicates that with annual growth in China's travel and tourism set to reach 10.9 percent by 2013, an annual contribution to China's gross domestic product is expected to be a massive 844.6 billion yuan (US$105 billion).

Analysts also predict that this growth will draw 130 million visitors to the country each year and will generate national tourism revenues of 3.3 trillion yuan (US$399 billion) by 2020. This is expected to give a boost to an industry that suffered sectorwide last year.

Expo exhibitors this year include travel agencies, tourist service companies and national tourism promotion boards and organisations. The service sector including airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies and credit card retailers will be among representatives from over 40 countries to the Expo. The United States, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Pakistan, Indonesia and Norway are expected to be among those represented.

National tourism organisation representatives include bureaus of tourism from provinces around China, including the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism and hotels from major Chinese cities, including the Beijing International Hotel and Landmark Towers.

The Beijing International Tourism Expo 2004 at the Beijing Exhibition Centre opens July 22 and ends July 24.

For further information, see the Expo Web site at: http://english.bjta.gov.cn.

The Expo office may be contacted by telephone at: (010) 6515 0226.



	Article featured in Business Beijing, July 2004 Publication sponsored by Information Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Development & Reform Commission of Beijing Municipality, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Beijing Sub-Council)