Taipei International Travel Fair 2012 to Kick off October 26

Taipei, Oct. 9, 2012 (CENS)--The Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF) 2012, scheduled October 26-29, will take place in Hall 1 and 3 of the Taipei World Trade Center, expecting to attract 850 exhibitors from some 60 countries across 1,000 standard booths.

The biggest annual event in Taiwan's tourism industry drew 250,000 visitors last year to generate about NT$ 1.5 billion (US$ 50 million) in revenues to hit a new high.

The downturn in the global economy recently has driven ever more operators to participate in the ITF to drum up business, with the eagerness sidelining some 200 operators this year due to better- than-expected booking, according to the organizer, Taiwan Visitors Association (TVA).

C.T. Su, chairman of ITF, says the fair this year divides hotels and resorts into four segments: star-level, hot spring hotels, recreational farms, and B&B (bed and breakfast).

Responding to increasing participation by airlines and tourism department from local governments this year, the organizer has added two new zones: airlines and tourist transportation sector and governmental suggested destinations sector, bringing visitors up-to-date tourism information.

Japan's tourism organization will again be the largest foreign exhibitor this year, with 106 booths, followed by South Korea's Korea Tourism Organization and tourism department of Seoul, and first-timers as Bhutan and Romania.

Yilan County government's program is the largest for domestic promoters with 49 booths, followed 47 booths by the Council of Agriculture.