Second China and Pan-Asia research study results out

BEIJING – The second China and Pan-Asian study into the China and Asia Meetings Industry conducted by the organisers of CIBTM, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), and independently analysed by The Right Solution Limited, shows a very positive outlook for both the domestic and international markets in China and elsewhere in Asia.

Some 650 buyers responded to the survey, which was undertaken in August this year. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents were based in 12 countries, but a total of 70 percent were based in Asia with 56 percent from China.

China, Hong Kong and Macau came joint third of the Asian countries ranked in the top 40 destinations in the world seeing 255 international association meetings during 2007 in their countries.

Beijing and Shanghai were rated top of the 12 destinations worldwide by buyers as the places where events were held in 2007.

In the Far East (excluding China) respondents showed that they placed 189 events with Hong Kong taking the lions share, followed by Japan and Macau. In South Asia, 117 events were placed with the top destination being India. In South-east Asia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were the top four locations.

Some 40 percent of buyers predicted that the number of events held in China will increase in the next 12 months with influencing factors showing that cost was still the number one consideration predicted by 74 percent of buyers.

From the suppliers’ side, over 60 percent of respondents were based in China although total respondents represented 27 countries with 77 percent based throughout Asia including Mainland China.

According to the results, the top factors influencing the placement of the respondents’ events were location, cost, quality of meeting facilities, and quality of accommodation.