The Beijing International Travel and Tourism Market to take place between 20-23 April, 2005

This year’s Beijing International Travel and Tourism Market (BITTM) is scheduled to take place at the NAEC, the fourth largest exhibition centre in Beijing, from April 20-23, 2005.

The BITTM is strictly business to business with a projected attendance of nearly 20,000 Chinese travel and tourism professionals. Leading Chinese tour operators and travel agents, such as China International Travel Service (CITS) – the largest operator on the Chinese market, as well as thousands of others have expressed their support for the BITTM.

The Chamber of Tourism (COT), a nationwide organisation initiated and formed by the private tourist sector of China (PRC), is also on board, pledging to bring thousands of its members to the upcoming BITTM in April.

The exhibition has also so far generated the support of 20 governors (out of the 34 regions of China) who have all agreed to bring their regional travel and tourism professionals.

Market reports reveal that Chinese outbound tourism in 2003 generated over 23 million departures with over US$16 billion in overseas expenditure. With over 80 foreign destinations receiving Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government this year, thousands of Chinese travellers have flown on tourist visas for the first time. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) reports that nearly 16 million Chinese travelled abroad in the first half of 2004 alone, and these numbers are projected to increase.

BITTM exhibitors will have an unlimited access to the BITTM buyers’ database, which holds information on over 10,000 Chinese licensed tour operators and travel agents, including the 1500 top outbound operators. The BITTM exhibitors will be granted direct access to the database, so that they can freely contact those in the list for marketing. The Chinese buyers will be preregistered and validated prior to the event.