Starting at the entrance, booths, backlit with fluorescent colors, pump music to fight for the attention of passersby. But they have tough competition from circling towering women in matching white floor-length gowns and someone dressed like a popular Japanese cartoon character luring followers back to their respectable business.

A woman dressed in a traditional Manchu costume -- invites passersby to China Southern's booth.[China.org.cn]

Despite the competing colors and noises, the eighth annual Beijing International Tourism Expo brings a sense of alliance between the participating companies. Professionals and possible clients in the tourism business from over the world gathered at the China National Convention Centre to connect with and size up competition at the three-day event.

The expo, organized by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, opened its doors to the professionals on Friday, and to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

Hundreds of organizations attracted potential partners to their booths with brochures and posters of where they send clients. Some are based in Beijing and send natives abroad. Some are foreign and try to lure Chinese tourists.

A Japanese company offers a tour based on Ikkyu-san, a popular cartoon.[China.org.cn]

Simon Atallah, managing director for the Dubai-based tourism agency Al Khalidiah, was networking with the aid of a translator. Atallah has been in the industry for 17 years, and this is his first year moving his business to China.

"English is the key to anywhere, but in the Chinese market, English isn't useful," Atallah said in English. "Perhaps it's time to learn Chinese."

Simon Atallah, managing director for the Dubai-based tourism agency Al Khalidiah, discusses expanding his business in China. [China.org.cn]

He sees huge potential in attracting Chinese tourists, and his company is setting up two China-based operators and hiring Chinese-speaking tour guides. Chinese customers have deep pockets and the desire to splurge on luxurious trips to Dubai for golf and safari tours, he said.

Yang Jun, general manager of the locally based Domestic Travel Center of China Women Travel Service, said that its main target audience at the expo is the high-income residents of China. Clients range from seniors wanting to see more of their country to newlyweds planning romantic honeymoons.

One of Women Travel Service's packages offered a honeymoon for 1,800 yuan to the southern Chinese city of Sanya, with the option of a professional photographer tagging along to document the trip.

Booth visitors look at booklets and brochures at China Women Travel Service. [China.org.cn]

The China Women Travel Agency uses the expo to build relationships with other travel agencies, even though they're competitors. If one agency can't meet a customer's travel needs, it will give another agency's name to the client, leading to more business for everyone.

One partner is Beijing Global Tour International Travel Service Co., Ltd.

Karen Wang, Beijing Global Tour's general manager, had a booth across from Yang Jun's. Beijing Global Tour, which acts as a middleman between small Chinese tourism agencies and international destinations, uses expos to find more clients. She said she gave out 600 brochures at last year's events, and she estimated that it helped her connect with 1,000 new foreign agencies and hotels.

Workers at Beijing Global Tour International Travel Service Co., Ltd, wait for potential customers to visit. [China.org.cn]

Chinese travelers' top-choice destination is East Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, followed by the more distant locations of Europe, the U.S. and Africa, Wang said.

Diana Zhang, an expo organizer, said last year's expo attracted 30,000 professional visitors.

"It's not as good as last year," Zhang said about the 2011 event. More visitors and companies came in 2010.

On the other hand, Atallah felt confident about expanding his business after his visit to China.

"There's a huge potential to take the market to Dubai," Atallah said. "It's the first time I've been talking about it, and I'm really happy about it."

A man working for China Women Travel Service talks to a visitor. [China.org.cn]

 

Xu Lin contributed reporting for this article.