GUANGZHOU, China, July 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hannover Fairs China, the Chinese subsidiary of Deutsche Messe, recently announced that it will co-organize the Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) from 2008 together with the Guangdong Tourism Bureau and Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality. The next GITF will be held from April 4-6 at the Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Center.
Founded in 1947, Deutsche Messe is one of world's leading organizers of trade fairs and exhibitions, boasting the world's largest exhibition facility. A key characteristic of Deutsche Messe's flagship fairs is their strong international appeal to visitors and exhibiting clients. Deutsche Messe, together and its Chinese subsidiary Hannover Fairs China Ltd., will co-organize GITF, together with their Chinese partners as contracted from 2008 to 2017.
Since its debut in 1993, GITF has successfully embraced its 15th opening, now positioning itself as one of China's foremost integrated international travel fairs. In view of its extensive influence at home and abroad, GITF was crowned as the "Canton Fair in the Travel industry".
CITF 2008 will once again hit a record high, featuring a display area of 20,000 sqm with 600 booths (including 40% from abroad). Compared with last year, doubled attendance of overseas exhibitors come from 36 countries and regions, including the U.S., Cuba, Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Finland, Rumania, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, Egypt, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Thailand, Japan, Korea, India, Hongkong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan China. An expected 60,000 domestic and overseas buyers, professionals and visitors will come all the way to GITF 2008.
Li Zhu, Chief of Guangzhou Tourism Administration, said, "Deutsche Messe is well-experienced in organizing exhibitions and possesses an affluent global network. Drawing on Deutsche Messe's worldwide reputation and professional operation, we believe our cooperation will propel GITF to be top-level and the largest in size in South China. Meanwhile, we will go all out to build up GITF as one of the most influential China's travel tradeshows. Moreover, we will endeavor to spread its worldwide influence, paving ground to its international status in the near future.
"It has been about 20 years since Deutsche Messe entered the China market. Two years ago, we established the Guangzhou office, and conducted an extensive research on our exhibition programs in South China," said James Fu, managing director of Hannover Fairs China Ltd. "GITF is a market-oriented travel fair with large-scale and international influence. It has the longest history of its kind in China. Considering these, Hannover Fairs China no doubt regards GITF as an ideal gateway to explore our potential market in South China. We will draw on our German-based global network as well as our renowned brand image to draw more professional international buyers for domestic and overseas exhibitors during the fair."
Both sides noted at the signing ceremony that they would spare no effort to further promote GITF and invite more buyers to the exhibition for potential inbound and outbound travel business.
