The first pan-industry conference on bilateral tourism relations between
China and Europe is to be held at World Travel Market 2006.The ground-breaking conference will bring together government and industry
players from the outbound and inbound sectors in Europe and China.

World Travel Market’s ChinaContact Conference ‘China - the Future of Travel’
will take place on Monday 6 November, the opening day of the global event at
ExCeL London.

 

“Despite the fact that China is forecast to become the world’s top tourist
destination and the major tourist source market by 2020, much around China’s
tourism industry remains shrouded in mystery,” said Fiona Jeffery, Managing
Director of World Travel Market.

 

“That is why this conference is crucial to professionals wanting to gain a
deeper understanding of the opportunities and how to go about conducting
business with the Chinese. This is a conference and a subject which no one
in travel and tourism can afford to ignore.

 

” While multinational tourism companies are able to spend millions investing
in marketing, representative offices and joint ventures, small and medium
size businesses and destinations are left wondering if they should even
bother approaching this market.

 

“Some have had their fingers burnt in the past by dealing with the wrong
people or simply not shaping the product to suit Chinese tastes.

 

“The aim of this conference is to take the ‘lid’ off China’s often complex
cultural and business practice and smooth the way for the international
travel and tourism industry to engage more productively and successfully
with China in the future.”

 

The one-day conference is being organised in association with the UK-based
ChinaContact, a market entry specialist consultancy assisting tourism
companies, travel service providers and tourism promotion boards wishing to
get closer to China.

 

Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact, who has worked in China at a
senior level, said:“What makes this conference unique is the focus on

bi-lateralism, a key principle in Chinese business practice.

 

“We are planning to bring a Chinese delegation of decision makers to London
to network with Europe’s travel professionals, government and media.

Our expertise on this niche market allows us to collect the best speakers,
presenters and panelists to address the major issues.”

 

He said that the conference would cover topics such as the growth of Chinese
tourism and its affect on Europe; the future of Chinese business tourism;
investment opportunities and how to take advantage of them; and China’s new
products and destinations.

 

The conference is being supported by the World Travel &Tourism Council,
VisitBritain, VisitLondon, UKinbound and the China-Britain Business Council
——-