BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 280 Asian companies will be taking part in the forthcoming edition of Alimentaria, one of the world's biggest trade fairs for the food and drink industry, which takes place at Fira de Barcelona from 25 to 28 April. At the same time, Alimentaria expects to welcome more than 6,000 visitors from Asia, mainly from China, Japan and Southeast Asia, looking to open new business bridges with the Spanish market and other European countries. These figures put Asia as the second largest geographical region in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors at the show, behind only the European Union.
With 123 exhibitors, China will be the Asian nation with the biggest representation, with companies and institutions such as Cino Coffee Machine MFG, CIEC Overseas Exhibition, Xiamen Kenjo Foods Company, National Agriculture Exhibition Center (NAEC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), amongst others. Alimentaria will also feature companies from South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
This year the number of Asian visitors is expected to rise by 5% compared to 2014, well in excess of 6,000 trade professionals. For the Spanish food and drinks industry, mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan are key markets when it comes to promoting and diversifying food exports.
In this respect, mainland China and Hong Kong have tremendous potential, especially in the meat sector. Exports of wine, spirits, fish and meat to Southeast Asian countries have increased by 25% in recent years. Meanwhile, Japan continues to increase its imports of Spanish products, especially meat, wine and oils.
To attract key buyers, Alimentaria is sending direct invitations to over 100 key Asian importers and distributors who will be holding business meetings with exhibitors at the show. The biggest delegations are from mainland China, with 62 guest buyers, Thailand (18), Taiwan (12), Philippines (11) and Malaysia (11), amongst others.
With more than 140,000 visitors, 30% of them international, and hosting some 4,000 companies from 70 different countries, Alimentaria is the leading showcase for the gastronomy, food and drink of Spain, whose products are enjoying increasing recognition and presence worldwide.
