The date for next year’s China International Travel Mart (CITM) in Kunming has been brought forward to October 27 and, apart from the better weather, host province Yunnan is embarking on a slew of venue and tourism product improvement to give delegates a warm welcome.

Yunnan Provincial Tourism Administration’s deputy director, He Chikang, explained at press conference yesterday that the weather tended to be very cold in November, and had caused much discomfort to delegates.

Further, renovation work has started on the Kunming International Convention & Exhibition Center, where CITM2011 will be held. Eight function halls and public dining areas will be given a fresh look; a ballroom that can accommodate 700 guests will be built; and security features of the venue will be enhanced.

Works will complete in time for CITM2011.

The tourism board is also developing a range of new tourism products to capture niches such as health tourism, golf, conventions and exhibitions, self-drive and culture, among others.

Specific products will be developed for different markets. For instance, a mystical Shangri-La theme will be employed to attract Europeans, Americans, South-east Asians and domestic markets, while health tourism will be promoted to travellers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

He told CITM Daily that Asian markets, especially Singapore and Malaysia, would remain Yunnan’s top source markets.

“We would love to have more European and American arrivals, but air access limitation remains a challenge. There are no direct flights from Europe and America to Yunnan, so it costs more and takes a longer time for these travellers to reach us.”