In response to the rapid growth
of the outbound tourism market in China , the SHTM co-organised the 4th International
Forum on Chinese Outbound Tourism (IFCOT) 2008 in Beijing on 16 April. IFCOT
2008 took the theme of ‘Approaching the Destination', and the latest trends
in and issues surrounding China 's outbound tourism market were discussed
during the Forum. Professor Haiyan Song spoke on the topic, ‘Mainland
China Outbound Tourism to Hong Kong : Determinants, Trends and Forecasts' .
The Forum was attended by 260 delegates from more than 20 countries and regions,
as well as the main outbound tour operators and travel agencies in China .
IFCOT has become an important platform for business cooperation between international
and domestic travel organisations and provides a valuable window into the latest
trends in the Chinese outbound travel market.
