-- Hannover Fairs Join Hands With IFEMA for a More International GITF
GUANGZHOU, China, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Guangzhou International Travel Fair 2009 (GITF 2009) will open in Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Center from March 26-29. Lasting a longer period of 4 days compared to 3 days last year, the GITF 2009 is set to open to trade visitors on 26-27 and to the public on 28-29. Exhibitors will also enjoy one more day (from 23 to 25) for booth construction on-site. GITF 2009 is expected to cover 15,000 sqm, accommodating 460 exhibitors with 45 percent from overseas.
Succeeding the great success of the 2008 fair co-organized by Hannover Fairs, GITF 2009 will once showcase a lineup of tourism products from different countries of the world, providing rich travel packages featured with exotic characters. The fair, with its unique "Professional and International" characters, will present an excellent tourism display for both exhibitors and visitors.
With the rapid development of domestic economy in recent years, Chinese tourism industry is booming by leaps and bounds. According to the National Tourism Administration, China is one of the countries with huge potential and fastest growth in outbound tourism market, what's more, Guangdong Province ranks as one of the most important tourism destinations and visitors sources in China. 2008 first half year's statistics show that Guangzhou is head on the top list among other tourism cities of China in terms of all the key index on tourism industry: welcoming a total of 52.858 million guests (+3.14%), including 2.917 million from overseas (+4.53%). These figures once again prove that Guangzhou, the South Gate of China, still enjoys huge potential in the tourism market, thus propelling the good development of GITF.
IFEMA joins in for a higher level of professionalism
From 2009, Spanish Feria de Madrid (IFEMA) as the co-organizer will join hands with Hannover Fairs Shanghai to operate GITF jointly. Founded in 1980, IFEMA is now the largest exhibition company in Spain, also taking a lead in Europe. Its organized FITUR is one of the three largest and most influential travel fairs in the world. FITUR 2008 held last February witnessed a turnout of over 13,300 exhibitors from 170 countries and regions on the net show area of over 100,000 sqm with visitors totaling up to 260,000.
Relying on Hannover Fairs worldwide network, great appeal to international visitors and exhibitors as well as IFEMA's successful experience in organizing FITUR, the both parties will team up to enhance the international influence of GITF. "Through collaboration with IFEMA, we will definitely build a more professional travel show that further promotes the rapid growth of the travel industry and establishes a unique platform in providing global professionals with latest travel information and opportunities to seek potential business," remarked Mr. James Fu, General Manager of Hannover Fairs China.
Highly featured with fascinating events
To stimulate the domestic tourism market, the National Tourism Administration carried out a series of new measures at the beginning of 2009 including heavy investments in the tourism infrastructure, public service facilities, and strengthened rural tourism and domestic recreation plans. In line with the market demand, the organizers therefore work out GITF, which features "wide spectrum of exhibits, clear division of exhibition area, rich concurrent events", benefiting exhibitors and visitors to the utmost extent.
GITF 2009 will cover 12 exhibition categories including National/Regional Travel Organizations and Tourist Associations, Travel Agencies, Hotels, Hotel Groups and Holiday Camps, Tourism Attractions such as Theme Parks, Resorts & Golf Courses, Airlines, etc. and the organizer will divide the exhibition area elaborately according to the categories. National tourism administrations from over 20 countries and regions will attend the fair by group and provide visitors with sophisticated tourism information at the Overseas Group Exhibition Pavilion. Air Pavilion will present special customized service provided by air companies from home and abroad, featuring new flight routes that are sure to be popular among businessmen. International Travel Agency Pavilion, Hotel & Resorts Pavilion and Tourism Attraction Pavilion are all going to be eye-catcher of travellers that look for rich travel products and holiday information raging from prosperous business area tours to fascinating landscape tours. What's more, local tourism administrations and group agencies from different parts of the country will present various tourist resorts and routes in the Domestic Exhibition Group Pavilion that had proved very popular among domestic tourists in previous fairs. Worth to mention, the organizer will cooperate with the tourism administrations and travel agencies of major tourism provinces and cites to launch special theme promotions, such as "Packaged Sichuan Tour", "Colorful Yunnan", "EXPO Shanghai", "Romantic Sanya" and "Inner Mongolia -- Heart of the Grassland and the Birthplace of Genghis Khan", etc.
Under well preparation of the organizers, Guangzhou Forum 2009 - International Eco-Tourism Development, themed on ecological tourism, will be held in correspondence with GITF 2009 on 26th March 2009. Experts from governments, tourism and hotel industry, entertainment and other fields will take steps towards discussing the hot topics in tourism industry so as to promote the development of ecological tourism. Besides, a series of concurrent events will add to the wonders of the show, including: International Tourism Golf Game 2009, providing a wonderful opportunity not only for the leaders to learn from each others' golf skills, but also to discuss the future development of the tourism industry; Buyers Night will provide a platform for free conversation between buyers, exhibitors and relevant parties coming from afar.
GITF 2009 in preparation will welcome more professionals on-site. Hannover Fairs will also spear no efforts to expand the coverage of buyers' invitation from the resource of cooperation with IFEMA and strategic alliance with FIera Milano. Sponsored by Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration and Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, the team-up of the two leading fair companies will further help boost the internationalization of GITF. Positioning as one of the most important international travel trade fairs in the Asia-pacific region, GITF will provide an excellent platform for global insiders to overview latest information on the tourism market and to seek potential business opportunities.
