Shanghai is expected to hold the biggest ever China International Travel Mart next month, local authorities said yesterday.

Expo travel will be a highlight of Shanghai's promotion at the mart. More than 100 local scenic spots, tour agencies and hotels will participate in the mart which will take place from November 20 to 23, said the Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission.

New scenic spots, such as the Shanghai World Financial Center, will be among the exhibitors which will cover 1,000 square meters at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center in Pudong New Area, officials said.

The Expo travel slogan and logo will be announced ahead of the opening of the event and are expected to be widely visible in the city until the end of the Expo, said the commission.

As well as the Expo promotion, Shanghai will also cooperate with Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, to promote its tour resources to support Dujiangyan's reconstruction of tourism after the massive earthquake on May 12. Shanghai has been designated to aid Dujiangyan's city restoration.

Tourism administrative bureaus from other provinces will also gather in Shanghai for talks on cooperation with their United States counterparts before the mart.

The November event will be the 10th anniversary of the mart, which is held alternatively in Shanghai and Kunming City. Officials said the mart was expected to attract more exhibitors from all over the world than ever before to promote their tour products and resources.

(Shanghai Daily October 30, 2008)