Insight into the largest tourism market and travel destination of the future

LONDON, UK – Over the past two years, the World Travel Market has been leading the pack in focusing on the biggest future market and destination for travel and tourism – China.

In 2006 and 2007, the WTM-ChinaContact forum hosted delegates from Europe, North Africa, North America, Middle East and Australia who came to learn how to access the Chinese market and attract more Chinese to visit their destination, hotel, attraction or service. Travel agents have attended to discover what China offers visitors (both leisure and business) beyond the now famous attractions of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai.

This year delegates will be able to hear case studies of successful recent entrants into the Chinese market and listen to panelists discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of doing business in China. They will have an opportunity to address their own concerns and questions with expert speakers from Europe and China. In order to get a better understanding of what China represents in terms of tourism potential, a well-rounded view of its inbound and outbound industries is highly recommended. The full day forum dedicates the morning sessions to China outbound tourism and the afternoon sessions to China inbound tourism.

China Outbound tourism (From China to the rest of the world) will cover these topics:

• Hear eminent tourism academic and author Professor Wolfgang Arlt discuss the impact of the Olympics and the Sichuan earthquake on China’s tourism sector in the coming year.
• Listen to Rosita Yiu, VP of Asia Sales, Accor Hotels and a recognized China expert honored by the President of France, share her experience of marketing accommodation to Chinese visitors over many years and preparing her properties to Chinese guests.
• Learn from case studies of different tourism promotion organizations and travel companies who entered the China market in recent years, presented by Roy Graff, managing director of ChinaContact.
• Find out how the Olympic Games held in Beijing this summer prompted further diversification of the Chinese tourism market into exciting niche markets.
• Receive an expert view into the luxury travel segment of China outbound travel. What are they spending on and how do they travel?
• Understand the important role that the internet is in China’s travel sector and differences from the experience of online travel in the West.
• Network with Chinese outbound travel agents and travel trade media and have the opportunity to ask the experts about their own business’ potential in China.

China Inbound tourism (from the West to China) will focus on:

• Presentations and panel discussions by tourism officials from China. They will be asked to answer questions about the growth in special interest tourism in Western China and the need to embrace sustainable tourism practices.
• Assessing the impact and contribution of the Olympic Games to China’s inbound tourism economy. Sportsworld was the official ticketing agent for the Beijing Olympic Games and carried on a large operation in Beijing during the Games. Their China general manager will talk about their experiences of operating a large scale inbound tourism operation at such a critical time.
• China’s growing confidence in holding large-scale events and attracting further international meetings, incentives, conferences and events business.
• China’s wealth of tourist resources beyond the usual – how China can accommodate 100 million tourists by 2020 without overwhelming its traditional tourist attractions – discussed by Albert Ng, CEO of Wild China.

Further speakers and case studies will be announced closer to the forum date. To review the full agenda visit http://www.future-of-travel.org .