The 31st PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Travel Mart will be held from September 22 to 25 in the scenically beautiful city of Hangzhou. The increasingly famous city in eastern China was decided as the site of the 2009 event at the 2007 Travel Mart in Bali, Indonesia.

Over one thousand people working in the field of tourism from more than fifty countries around the world have registered so far to attend this year’s event, according to a July 29 press briefing of the “PATA Travel Mart 2009 Hangzhou”. “It is great to see the high standards of participants and more than fifty percent of the exhibition space has been booked so far for Travel Mart 2009,” said Sheila Leong, Director of PATA’s Event Department.

This year will feature something different from past events, it has been reported. Participants, ie buyers and sellers from around the globe, will first send formal invitation letters online to their potential clients, and during the Travel Mart, they will have business negotiations in the conference venue. If trade agreements are reached, contracts will be signed.

In the meantime, to battle against the negative impact inflicted by the global financial crisis on worldwide tourism, China’s tourism bureau is trying its best to get inbound travel business opportunities, according to China News’ website. It will also organize tourism boards and travel agencies from all 31 provincial level areas, which include large municipalities and autonomous regions in China, to take part in this year’s PATA Travel Mart, the website said.

“In China, big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are already well-known to foreign businessmen, but they would like to know a brand new destination. They are interested in Hangzhou, a very beautiful city, expecting excellent opportunities,” said Dale Lawrence, Public Relation Director of PATA. “We have great confidence in this Travel Mart in Hangzhou to be successful.”