Domestic and overseas travel destinations woo Chinese customers
Domestic and overseas exhibitors bring their traditional performances, delicacies and activities to Shanghai during the 2018 China International Travel Mart, which will run through Sunday at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in the Pudong New Area.
Selangor, a state along the west coast of Malaysia, has brought its traditional performances and lucky draws to the travel fair on Saturday.
Malaysian dancers perform at the 2018 China International Travel Mart.
The state is known for its natural wonders and is home to Sky Mirror, Fireflies Park, Shah Alam National Botanical Garden and Kanching Eco Rimba Park that are favored by nature lovers. Its Musang King durian and Klang, or Bak Kut Teh which literally translates to "Meat Bone Tea," are some of the must-eat.
"Selangor is a gateway to Malaysia, and CITM is a very good platform to introduce our tourism and services to China," said Noorul Ashikin Binti Mohd Din with Tourism Selangor.
China is one of the top five countries to visit Selangor and its number visitors has been steadily increasing year on year, with entertainment, islands and beaches the most popular among Chinese travelers, she said. The state has trained tour guides speaking Mandarin and introduced Alipay and WeChat pay to lure more Chinese visitors.
Indonesian performers greet visitors at the 2018 China International Travel Mart.
One side of the Kazakhstan booth at the fair has been decorated with a yurt, a portable traditional Kazakh dwelling, and the other side with a view of charming and mysterious Singing Dunes, located in the Altyn-Emel National Park.
Kazakhstan brings its unique nature and authentic culture to the fair.
Sri Lanka performers pose at the 2018 China International Travel Mart.
Winter tourism is a highlight of CITM with domestic participants like Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia bringing snowy landscape, hot spring, cultural activity and folk custom experience itineraries and local performances to the event.
Harbin, capital of the northeast Heilongjiang Province, is known as a winter destination for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival each winter.
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is inviting visitors to experience its winter landscape and snowy sports activities with hot spring and snow motocycle racing at Bayanbulak and horse racing and horse-drawn sledge on snowfield of Narati.
Shanghai booth at the 2018 China International Travel Mart
A health tourism forum was held on Saturday, with traditional Chinese medicine and sachet making on site.
It is the first time that a health forum was held during the fair, gathering officials, scholars and experts to share their expertise and perspective on the development of health tourism market and traditional Chinese medicine health care at the China Shanghai Healthy Tourism Forum 2018.
Health tourism industry has huge potentials in China, said Cheng Meihong, deputy director of the Shanghai Tourism Administration.
The three-day international travel industry exhibition gathers exhibitors from 107 countries and regions and features more than 2,200 stands, according to the Shanghai Tourism Administration.
