BITTM (The Beijing International Travel and Tourism Market), the only business-to-business event dedicated to outbound travel and tourism in China, has today announced the dates and venue for 2007. The third annual BITTM event will take place from 14 - 16 May 2007 at the China World Trade Center in Beijing (CWTC).

The show has today also announced the appointment of a leading global travel industry expert, Matt Thompson, who will head up BITTM as Project Director. Matt brings with him fourteen years of event and travel trade experience with Reed Exhibitions (organizers of the World Travel Market), where he held a number of senior management positions in their travel and tourism division.

Thompson was Group Exhibition Director for Reed's overseas travel events and has been responsible for the development and launch of their exhibitions in emerging and established markets, including Arabian Travel Market (Dubai), CIS Travel Market (Russia) and Mediterranean Travel Fair (Cairo). Whilst based in Reed's UK head office, Matt also had responsibility for Reed's Singapore operation, which ran PATA Travel Mart and launched Asia Business Travel Market in 2003.

BITTM Project Director, Mr. Matt Thompson

Matt Thompson, BITTM Project Director, commented: "I am very excited to be joining BITTM at a time when the show has established itself in the market place and as the Chinese market begins to realize and unleash its huge potential. With outbound travel statistics predicted to reach 100 million annually by 2020, BITTM provides the perfect platform to reach such a dynamic and fast moving industry."

Occupying a prime location in the heart of Beijing's Central Business District, CWTC is widely recognized as a first rate business-to-business venue, with a range of excellent facilities, such as hotels, restaurants and a bespoke conference center. Conveniently located for all travel trade professionals, it is an ideal networking environment and a natural host for a serious trade show such as BITTM.

In 2006, BITTM welcomed 2,541 visitor and the number of attendees was double that of the 2005 event. 124 tourist boards, tour operators, travel agents and hotel groups from 34 countries exhibited at BITTM. 448 handpicked hosted buyers from the top tour operators and travel agencies in China attended BITTM to do business and network with international tourism professionals.

The event also attracted high profile 'Chinese and international tourism experts' to speak at the conference, including Geoffrey Lipman, special advisor to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Professor Zhang Guangrui from the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and Professor Dr. Wolfgang Arlt from The University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Germany.

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Notes to editors

1. For photographs of BITTM 2006 and Matt Thompson, please email zschoenfeld@tarsus.co.uk. For further information regarding BITTM, please see www.bittm.com.

2. BITTM is the only dedicated business-to-business outbound travel event in China. The show creates an annual platform where global and local industry professionals meet, discuss and contract the upcoming seasons.  BITTM provides the essential link between the rapid development of the Chinese travel and tourism industry and the dynamic needs of the global industry.

3. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) predicts that China is becoming the fourth most important outbound travel market. With 31 million departures in 2005 and a predicted 100 million in 2020 it's easy to see why. Travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in China, and has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the Chinese economy in the past few years. China has recorded stronger growth in this sector than any other Asian or global destination.

4. BITTM is organized by Tarsus Group plc, the international media group with interests in exhibitions, conferences, publishing and online media.  For further information on Tarsus and BITTM, please see www.tarsus-group.com.