Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) A record-breaking number of exhibitors from 58 countries and an estimated 160,000 visitors will be attending the largest travel fair in Southeast Asia, as the Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF) marches into its 20th year.
More than 1,150 exhibition booths -- a 40 percent increase over last year -- have been set up for the annual Taipei ITF, which will be held Nov. 3- 6 at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall I.
National and local tourism bureaus, travel agencies, hotels and resorts, theme parks, private tourism enterprises and tourism-related organizations from 60 countries, including first-time participants from Iran, Kenya, Sweden and Tunisia, have registered to take part in the event.
China is the country with the most exhibitors, occupying 200 booths; second is Japan with 69 booths; Malaysia ranks third with 20 booths; followed by Korea (13), Hong Kong (12), Macau (11), Australia (10), Thailand (8) and Singapore (8).
The number of local exhibitors also showed a 78-percent increase over last year, suggesting the tourism market's potential in Taiwan has risen again as Taiwan's economy recovers, said Stanley Yen, chairman of the Taipei ITF Organizing Committee.
The event also pays attention to the rising market for "accessible tourism," also known as wheelchair travel or disability travel, in one of its themed pavilions, Yen said.
The Taipei ITF has been witnessing Taiwan's development since 1987, when the first ITF was held, as Taiwan went from an inbound market to an outbound market in tourism, Yen said.
There were only 800,000 outbound travelers and 1.6 million visitors to Taiwan in 1987. In 2005, Taiwan had 8.2 million outbound travelers and 3.38 million visitors, Yen pointed out.
For the first time, organizers have selected 15 citizen journalists to cover the 4-day event in weblogs to encourage civil journalism and tourism literature.