Thousands of war game and diving fans thronged London's ExCel Centre over the weekend to shop for new strategy games or new gear. Others found themselves exploring every small corner of the Great Britain, the British Isles and Ireland at the Best of Britain and Ireland show at the same venue.

The ExCel Centre in London hosted three shows on Saturday but had no sign that on April 2 a major world event - the G20 summit - is to be held here. [China Daily]

Few were aware that leaders from the G20 economies - whose gross national product accounts for about 85 percent of the world's - will meet at this very place in just four days on April 2.

Jose Croft, head of business visits and events with VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, was more enthusiastic about the exhibition halls at ExCel being transformed into floors for table tennis, martial arts and other sporting events for the 2012 London Olympics.

The venue - where world leaders will discuss ways to get the world quickly out of the current economic recession, enhance supervision over financial markets and reform existing international monetary systems - did not even have a sign on Saturday to announce the G20 Summit.

The only indicator that a major world event was scheduled to take place was the presence of small security ships cruising along the river by the huge exhibition complex. No sooner did this journalist release her camera shutter for the bronze Dockers statue, than a security guard arrived in an electric car. "Taking photos is not allowed here," he said, adding apologetically that the temporary ban is only for "this coming week until the summit is over".

Inside ExCel, the three shows drew a mixed response because of the economic downturn. Salute - the largest one-day exhibition of strategy gaming - lost one-fifth of its exhibitors compared to last year, according to a war game fan and volunteer-guide at the entrance, who declined to give his name because he is a government employee.

Organizers of the London International Dive Show and Best of Britain and Ireland were optimistic. The dive show attracted 230 exhibitors - five more than last year - from across the world, including the Caribbean islands, Maldives and Egypt. Exhibition manager Richard Thompson hoped for good business prospects as some 14,000 visitors bought tickets in advance.

Many left the show carrying new suits, goggles, oxygen tanks and other items they'd bought at the fair. "Although the general atmosphere is of gloom, people have to look for things to do and fans will continue to go for diving," Thompson said.

VisitBritain's Croft and his colleagues remained upbeat about coping through the crunch. While he acknowledged that outbound travel had declined by 5.7 percent and business travel continued sluggishly, he hoped international travelers would boost domestic tourism. Reason: The pound sterling - at its weakest in over two decades - is a big lure for international travelers.

"For the first time it is cheaper to have a cup of coffee at Starbucks at Leicester Square in London than at Times Square in New York for the Americans since the times of Ronald Reagan," said Kenny Boyle, commercial and marketing services director of VisitBritain.

"It is now about 30 percent cheaper for the Chinese to visit the UK these days," said Croft, adding that 10 tour representatives from China had visited the Best of Britain and Ireland trade forum last week.

(China Daily March 30, 2009)