A pan-industry conference on bilateral tourism relations between China and Europe is to be held at World Travel Market 2006 in November.

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. The ground-breaking conference will bring together government and industry players from the outbound and inbound sectors in Europe and China.

"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.

Roy Graff, Managing Director of ChinaContact, said, "What makes this conference unique is the focus on bi-lateralism, a key principle in Chinese business practice. We are planning to bring a Chinese delegation of decision makers to London to network with Europe's travel professionals, government and media. Our expertise on this niche market allows us to collect the best speakers, presenters and panelists to address the major issues."

The conference is being supported by the World Travel & Tourism Council, VisitBritain, Visit London, UKinbound, ThinkLondon and the China-Britain Business Council.