The mart covers a physical space of 34,500 square meters, with 1,614 booths, including 503 international ones. Agents have come from countries and regions such as France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and United States, while India, Italy and Mauritius are participating for the first time.

The CITM organizers will invite some 1,300 overseas buyers from over 10 countries for talks on enhancing cooperation. Officials from the tourism administrations of Greece, Hungary, South Africa and Indonesia will meet with their Chinese counterparts.

The buyers participating in CITM have excellent reputations which is conducive to the development of China's tourism industry, said Shen Huirong, an official with China National Travel Administration (CNTA).

Experts estimate that thousands of people from the tourism industry will take part in CITM, with visitors exceeding tens of thousands.

(People's Daily November 15, 2002)