The first pan-industry conference on bilateral tourism relations between China and Europe is to be held at World Travel Market 2006. The ground-breaking conference will bring together government and industry players from the  outbound and inbound sectors in Europe and China.

World Travel Market’s ChinaContact Conference ‘China – the Future of Travel’ will take place on Monday 6 November, the opening day of the global event at ExCeL London.

“Despite the fact that China is forecast to become the world’s top tourist destination and the major tourist source market by 2020, much around China’s tourism industry remains shrouded in mystery,” said Fiona Jeffery, Managing Director of World Travel Market.

“That is why this conference is crucial to professionals wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and how to go about conducting business with the Chinese. This is a conference and a subject which no one in travel and tourism can afford to ignore. While multinational tourism companies are able to spend millions investing in marketing, representative offices and joint ventures, small and medium size businesses and destinations are left wondering if they should even bother approaching this market.”

“Some have had their fingers burnt in the past by dealing with the wrong people or simply not shaping the product to suit Chinese tastes. The aim of this conference is to take the ‘lid’ off China’s often complex cultural and business practice and smooth the way for the international travel and tourism industry to engage more productively and successfully with China in the future,” concluded Jeffery.