World Travel Market (WTM), the leading global event for the travel industry, is expanding its successful WTM Vision Conference series into China and Russia with WTM Vision-Shanghai and WTM Vision-Moscow.

WTM Vision launched in London in 2009 as a half-day, mid-year conference offering senior delegates the latest information, research, and opinion to help them run their travel businesses.

The successful London event was repeated in 2010. This year, the London Vision Conference was part of an expanded program, which took in Europe, with WTM Vision–Milan; and the Middle East, with WTM Vision–Dubai, at fellow Reed Travel Exhibitions event Arabian Travel Market.

2012 will see the WTM Vision series expand into China and Russia, two of the most important travel and tourism markets.

WTM Vision-Shanghai, organized association with CBN Travel & MICE and World Travel Online, which will take place on May 10 at the World Travel Fair in the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. 

World Travel&Tourism Council figures show China is the world’s third largest market for outbound tourists, spending around US$55 billion in 2010. China also received 56 million international tourists in 2010 generating US$46 billion.

In September, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said the Chinese government would “double its effort in tourism” because of the industry’s link to social economic development.

WTM Vision–Moscow, organized with Travel Media publisher, TTG Russia and TTG Luxury (to be launched in March 2012), will take place in the Russian capital on March 19 in The Ritz Carlton, Moscow. It will focus on the growing sector of luxury tourism in the Russian travel market.

According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Russia has the 9th largest outbound tourism market in terms of expenditure, and it is increasing annually by 14 percent, which is why Europe’s largest travel companies, including TUI and Thomas Cook, have entered the market in the past 18 months.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery said: “The WTM Vision Conference series has been a great success since it was launched in London in 2009.

“The industry has shown a great demand for mid-year information, research, analysis, and opinion to help shape business strategies."

“China is another obvious destination for the WTM Vision series; it is already one of the most important outbound and inbound tourism markets. The government has recently reaffirmed its 2009 commitment to tourism being a ‘strategic pillar’ of its policy. This policy and commitment to tourism was lauded at last year’s UNWTO and WTM Ministers’ Summit.”

“Russia is an obvious country for further expansion, as its travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing in the world, with a number of Europe’s biggest players starting to take an interest in the market.

Relevant Information:
CBN Travel & MICE is part of the China Business Networks (CBN) which among other activities focuses on providing consultancy and targeted marketing services for foreign tourism promotion authorities, travel business as well as other organizations that wish to attract outward investment and outbound travel from China.

World Travel Online is the awards winning outbound travel portal on the China Wide Web which provide comprehensive information in Chinese language free of charge to the entire outbound travel trade and also millions of Chinese travelers 24/7 throughout China hence, it is the ideal platform for tourism promotion authorities and businesses in the travel and tourism sector to reach the outbound travel trade as well as actual Chinese travelers.

Related News in Chinese:
世界旅游交易会（WTM）远景会议2012年登陆上海