As the Asia’s largest international tourism fair, this year’s China International Travel Mart (CITM 2009), organized by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) jointly with Yunnan Provincial People's Government and Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), was successfully held from 19th-22nd November at Kunming International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Kunming despite colder than normal weather in this otherwise known as “spring city" of China.
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Mr. Shao Qiwei, Chairman of CNTA was giving a speech on the Opening Ceremony of CITM 2009 |
CITM 2009 Welcome Reception Banquet
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China Business Network (CBN) supporting CNTA with its awarded travel portal World Travel Online as the media partner were again invited to attend and also to support many foreign tourism promotion authorities and companies in the travel and tourism industry that wish to market to the Chinese outbound travel market, e.g. the entire Caribbean Pavilion, McArthurGlen, Tourism Malaysia, Thistle Port Dickson Resort and Thistle Johor Bahru, Aberdare Safari Hotels, Amstar Destination Management Company, Baltic Balkan Travel Group, Baltic Saitas, Big Bus Tours, Caribic Vacations Limited, Central Hall Westminster, Destination Management Chile S.A., Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism, EURO USA, Glamour Tours, Gulliver Travel, Mantis Collection, Moet & Chandon, ML Tours and Safaris LTD, Tourism and Hospitality Office of Mali, Leisure West Tours & Cruises, Uniglobe Speedbird Travel & Safaris Limited, Victoria and Albert Museum, Voortrekker Monument, Voyagers, Z-Travel Mali, etc.
A great many Chinese tour operators were invited by CBN and WTO to attend CITM and they were happy visiting the wide range of foreign exhibitors and got much needed information and made many new contacts.
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CBN staff were happy to promote foreign destinations and recommended incoming service providers as well as CBN Travel Service to interested Chinese tour operators. |
Many Chinese tour operators and
visitors came to CBN stand to find out more about foreign destinations and
visiting atractions too.
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Caribbean pavilion first presented at CITM 2009
One of the most exciting feature of CITM 2009 was that for the first time Caribbean delegations from the tourism promotion authorities of many Caribbean destinations were presented at very eye catching Caribbean Pavilion during CITM 2009.
Staff from the China Business Network and World Travel Online supporting the Caribbean pavilion with some of the Caribbean delegates including Jamaican Minister of Tourism, Director and Deputy Director Tourism as well as H. E. Ambassador, Board Director and Director of Tourism of Turks and Caicos as well as Mr. Modeste for Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. |
Ms. Sylma Brown, Director for Marketing of Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) attended the big event to introduce the Caribbean as a whole travel destination to the Chinese tour operators.
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PATA President & CEO Mr. Gregory A. Duffell, Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett from Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Mr. H. Modeste, Malaysian Minister of Tourism Dato Dr. Ng Yinyin, Ms. Sylma Brown, Director for Marketing of Caribbean Tourism Organization with Dr. Wu COO of China Business Network at the CITM Reception Dinner. |
Mr. Brian Awang, Chairman of Trinidad and Tobago Tourism development Company (TDC); H. E. Jamaican Ambassador Rattray to China; Mr. Wang Zhifa, Vice Chairman of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA); Mr. David Shields Deputy Director for Marketing of Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB); Mr. Hilary Modeste, Director of Antigua and Barbuda Tourism. |
Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett from Jamaica, H. E. Mr. Rattray Jamaican Ambassador to China, Mr. John Lynch, Director of Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Mr. David Shields Deputy Director for Marketing of JTB promoted Jamaica to the visitors by showing the out cut of Bolt the fastest man in the world and the famous blue mountain coffee.
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The die-cut of real size “flying man” Bolt, attracted many visitors to the Jamaican stand which had another real attraction i.e. Blue Mountain Coffee being served to the visitors from China and overseas too.
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Tourism Minister from Jamaica (R5) Hon Edmund Bartlett, Jamaican Ambassador to China H. E. Mr. Rattray (R4), Director of Tourism Mr. John Lynch (L5) and Mr. David Shields Deputy Director for Marketing of JTB (L4) are at the Jamaica booth with staff of CBN. |
Mr. Brian Awang, Board Chairman of TDC from Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. Jason Baptiste, Marketing Manager of TDC, Mr. Alpheus A. Gardiner, Deputizing Chairman of Turks and Caicos Tourist Board and Mr. Ralph L. Higgs, Director of Turks and Caicos Tourist Board as well as Mr. Hilary Modeste, representing Antigua and Barbuda Tourism joined the Caribbean Delegation to participate in CITM for the first time and introduced the tourism resources and products with the nicely prepared Chinese collatrals to the interested Chinese tour operators and visitors at their own booth as well.
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Mr. Hilary Modeste of Antigua and Barbuda Tourism took a photo with dedicated interpreter at the nicely decorated booths for Antigua and Barbuda. |
Mr. Brian Awang, Board Chairman of TDC of Trinidad and Tobago and Mr. Jason Baptiste, Marketing Manager of TDC took photo with Chinese tour operators. |
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Mr. Ralph L. Higgs, Director of Turks and Caicos Tourist Board toghether with Mr. A. Gardine, Deputizing Chairman of TCI Tourist Board were giving an interview to Chinese travel media |
China Business Network staff was introducing
the Caribbean tourism resources to the visitors
at the Caribbean Tourism Organization booth.
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Other Caribbean exhibitors also attracted a lot of visitors to stop their steps and to get information, e.g. Anguilla Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Investment, Commerce & Tourism, Grenada Board of Tourism, The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board and Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
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The pretty Anguilla booth attracted visitors to ask for tourism and investment information. |
Visitors were asking for the attractive Chinese brochures at the British Virgin Islands booth. |
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Grenada was really popular to the visitors as it was the first time for the visitors to get Chinese information at the CITM. |
The CBN staff was talking to the visitor about staying in the wonderful resorts in Puerto Rico.
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Despite under the influence of current global financial crisis and the terrible cold weather, the statistics revealed that 94 countries and regions still participated in CITM 2009, with 180 exhibition delegations and 3,984 exhibitors. 67,000 visitors had been received, of whom, 35,000 were professional participants and 32,000 were the general public. All together 6456 contracts were signed, with 10,400 letters of intent reached; touring groups with traveling intents reached 1.49 million persons with 12.85 million copies of propaganda leaflets dispatched. This fully demonstrates the confidence of the worldwide tourism industry on China's tourism industry, and also proves great potential of China's tourism industry has won international attention and recognition.
CITM 2010 would be held from 18th – 21st November, 2010 in Shanghai.
Relevant News in Chinese: 2009昆明国际旅交会精彩回顾 世界游网解密展台风情
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