Int'l Travel Mart opens in Kunming

The 11th China International Travel Mart has opened in the southwestern city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. The government hopes it will help China enhance its cooperation in international tourism.

The 11th China International Travel Mart has opened in the southwestern city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

The Mart has more than 2000 booths, attracting nearly 180 participants from nearly 100 countries and regions around the world, a record high.

Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the world, and China is now the world's fourth inbound tourist destination, and number one for outbound tourists in Asia-Pacific.

Chen Rong, CEO of China Int'l Travel Services said "Foreign businesses are optimistic about the Chinese market. More businesses have come to our expo this year, showing that they attach more and more importance to China. Chinese people now travel all over the world".

A tourism official says the global financial crisis and the spread of A/H1N1 flu have both affected the sector. China received more than 93 million overseas tourists in the first three quarters of the year, down nearly 3.5 percent from the same period last year.

But China's tourism market is expected to recover along with the improving economic situation and the upcoming Shanghai World Expo.