Today the important Tourism Tradeshow CITE, Chengdu International Tourism Exhibition, opens its doors at the Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. National and International Buyers, Media and Exhibitors coming together for three days to promote the tourism outbound and inbound.
Mr. Edward Liu, Group Managing Director, Conference & Exhibition Management Service PTE Ltd, (CEMS) the Organizer Company from Singapore, welcomed the guests and Delegations.
The Chengdu Tourism was headed by Mrs. Duoyang Namu, General Director of Chengdu Tourism Administration, Mr. Chai Yanzhu, Secretary General of Sichuan Province Tourism Assc. Liu welcomed the members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, the exhibitors, Media and the Buyer.
The 5th. edition of CITE brings together some 300 international and local tourism organizations, travel agencies, airlines, theme parks, hotels, resorts and technical companies from 30 countries and 21 provinces from China, all under one roof, occupying almost more than 8.000square meters of gross exhibition space. In addition, the organizers expecting more than 200 Hosted Buyer from Sichuan and other provinces as well as some 3.000 trade visitors during the three-day event.
The official opening left Edward Liu, middle, Mrs. Duoyang Namu, General Director of Chengdu Tourism Administration, greeting the Turkish Delegation on their Stand
As many of the exhibitors and buyers are aware, CITE has started the series way back in 2012. Liu and his company believes that CEMS were also the first foreign organizer to hold such a professional exhibition in Chengdu. But things have changed, so Liu, and Chengdu is now a world-renowned tourism city and is known all over the world.
So much that even the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) had organized its 22nd. General Assembly here in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China in last September. Including the election of the new Secretary General, bringing together over 1.000 participants from over 130 United Nations member countries worldwide, including more than 70 minister level officials. Hence Chengdu, the host city of the event, and Sichuan province, once again, have drawn wide attention across the global tourism industry.
The reason why the World Tourism Organization had decided to hold its 22nd. General Assembly in Chengdu was because it believes that China will become the largest travel destination and the fourth largest source country by 2020. In that year, there will be 137.10 million international travelers to the country, taking up 8,6 per Cent of the global share, and more than 100 Million outbound Chinese visitors, or 62, percent of the worldwide outbound visitors.
Consequently, Chengdu has continued to be one of the top 10 inbound and outbound cities in China
It was because of the huge market potential in China that CEMS as Organizer had decided to organize the CITE series in Chengdu for the past six years.
Culture Performance with traditional dancers from Sri Lanka
However, this exhibition would not be possible, said Liu thankful, without the strong support of the Tourism Development Commission of Sichuan Province, the Sichuan Tourism Assc., the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Exposition for their continued support of CITE series.
Liu;” Similarly, CITE 2017 would not be successful without the support and participation of the many Chinese Provincial Tourism Administrations and bureaus and the wholehearted support from the international tourism industry, especially Sri Lanka, the Partner country this year, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, amongst others.
Great interest from local and international media
Finally, Liu would like to reiterate that CITE 2017 serves as a platform for the tourism and travel industry to interact with the Hosted Buyers and Trade Visitors in Sichuan and other Provinces for today and tomorrow.
Stand from Egypt at CITE Chengdu
This year’s Exhibition Highlights would include airlines, destinations and hotel presentations, technology workshops as well as cultural performances from Sri Lanka and Egypt.
