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Minister McNeill to Attend Leading Travel Trade Show in China

Release Date: 
Friday, April 4, 2014 - 15:30

Kingston, Jamaica: April 4, 2014 - Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, the Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, is set to travel to Beijing, China, to attend the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) event, which will be held from April 9-11, 2014.  The Minister departs the island today, April 4.

The COTTM is considered the leading platform to access the Chinese travel market and is a prime marketplace to meet Chinese trade buyers, leading outbound tour operators and travel agents.

Jamaica is moving to attract more Chinese visitors to the island and it is expected that participation in the COTTM’s seminar programmes and the event overall will assist the Ministry and its agencies in positioning Jamaica to better cater to this market. The travel and tourism exhibition is viewed as an excellent forum for conducting business and exploring opportunities that will benefit the island’s tourism sector.

In 2012, China’s expenditure on travel abroad reached US$102 billion. In 2013, the United Nations World Tourism Organization declared China the number one international tourism source market in terms of spending.  In a bid to better tap into the Chinese market, the Jamaican Government in February approved the conditional waiving of visa requirements for Chinese nationals travelling to Jamaica for tourism purposes for periods of 30 days or less in order to facilitate ease of travel between the two countries.

Minister McNeill returns to the island on Sunday, April 13, 2014.