17th International Travel Expo opens in HK
( 2003-09-26 11:15) (Xinhua)
The 17th International Travel Expo opened in Hong Kong Thursday, attracting
about 600 exhibitors from nearly 100 countries and regions.
The annual travel exposition has received enthusiastic support from trade
partners. More than 70 national tourism organizations from around the globe will
showcase their latest travel products and information at the four-day show.
The organizer of the expo has arranged lots of cultural performances like
Chinese, Japanese and African dances that bring the audience to learn about the
customs and cultures of different countries and regions.
Travel forums and seminars featuring hot topics will also be held. A new
program, "New Travel Routing Contest," will encourage exhibitors to explore new
travel routes and attractions, thus opening more business opportunities.
Chinese travelers demand more short-haul travel and semi-group tour during
the post-SARS period and there is a growing interest in health-related tours. To
cope with the rising demand, there will be a special zone devoted to "health and
medical tour" in the expo.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Economic Development and Labor, Stephen Ip, said at
the opening ceremony that Hong Kong is investing heavily in the tourism
infrastructure to ensure the diversity to suit the tastes of visitors from
different markets.
He noted that the performance of tourism industry in Hong Kong has improved
substantially over the past two months. In July, the city received some 1.3
million visitors, up almost 80 percent compared with June. The number further
increased to 1.64 million in August, an increase of 27 percent form July. Hotel
occupancy also climbed up from 18 percent in May to over 80 percent in August,
said Ip.
|
