The Chinese pavilion at WTM in London. Photo: WTM China is set to make an unprecedented presence at WTM London this year, with its largest-ever pavilion. Led by the China National Tourism Organization (CNTO) in London, the pavilion will cover 487.5 square meters, almost 22% more than last year.
The pavilion will combine destination presentations, cultural experiences and business meetings during the three days of the exhibition, as part of China's effort to deepen tourism ties with the UK and with tourism markets around the world.
Representatives from 14 Chinese destinations will participate in the exhibition, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hainan, Sichuan, and more. Macau will also participate for the first time as part of the Chinese pavilion.
Alongside the destinations, eight Chinese airlines operating routes between the UK and China will be on display, including Air China, China Southern, Hainan Airlines and others. Companies involved in business tourism will also receive designated areas.
The move comes amid a recovery in tourism between the countries. In February this year, China introduced visa-free entry for British passport holders for up to 30 days. Between January and July, almost 100,000 tourists from the UK visited Beijing, a 53.1% jump from the same period last year.
Last year, the Chinese presence was also impressive at the London fair, with 130 representatives, exhibitors, and buyers from 56 Chinese tourism companies taking part and holding more than 5,000 business meetings.
The WTM tourism fair will take place from November 3 to 5 at the Excel Conference Center in London.