Apr 09 - Tourist Board Represent Gibraltar at Beijing Tourist Fair
The Gibraltar Tourist Board is attending one of Asia’s leading tourism trade fairs. The tenth edition of the ‘China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market’ (COTTM), which is the country’s primary outbound travel exhibition, is taking place in Beijing between 9th-11th April 2014.
The high-profile event is widely recognised as the perfect gateway to the lucrative Chinese travel market.
Last year approximately 100 million Chinese tourists went abroad for their holiday, a figure which experts predict, could double by the year 2020. According to Chinese press reports, citing the China National Tourism Administration, they spent an estimated $102 billion.
As nations worldwide relax visa requirements to compete for spending, organisers of the COTTM trade fair have explained that a combination of China's fast-emerging middle class, improved transport links and more favourable policies are all contributing to the overseas travel boom.
Fostering business and tourist links with China is a well-known aim that the Gibraltar Government is pursuing. In 2013 a GTB delegation participated in the World Travel Market ‘Vision Conference’ in China and exhibited at the COTTM.
China, one of the emerging global markets in the world, offers vast trading opportunities and Gibraltar, in keeping with the policy advocated by Minister for Tourism, Commercial Affairs and the Port, the Hon Neil Costa MP, is keen to explore new markets to promote Gibraltar as a tourist destination.
Minister Costa noted, ‘Chinese tourists are well known for their high spending power, they demand first class service and higher quality experiences. Our intention is to deliver more visitors to the Rock, and Gibraltar is ideally placed to tap into that market with the unique tourist product we can offer.’
