Staged at the China World Trade Center, the Workshop provided a unique opportunity to discuss in small groups real experiences and plans of the workshop participants such as strategies, marketing plans, product adaptation, and regional cooperation, etc. with leading academic experts in the field.

Director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, said: �Discussions have been highly interactive, focused and in-depth.  It enables all of us to dwell deeper on a certain issues raised by each participant.�

Mr. Tony Tse, Programme Director (Industry Partnerships) of PolyU�s School of Hotel and Tourism Management, added: �With China already the No. 1 international tourists generating country in Asia, the Workshop provides an opportunity to gain further insight into an outbound travel market that is continuing to grow in every respect.  It is equally important to understand China�s policy on outbound tourism which is a major force in shaping the tourist flow.�

The Workshop featured talks on hot topics by renowned China experts as follows:

• �The Current Situation of Outbound Tourism from China� � Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute; 

• �Doing China Outbound Business through Understanding Chinese Tourists� � Dr. Hanqin Zhang, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, PolyU;

• �Destination Marketing in China� � Prof. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute; 

• �Outbound Leisure Travel and China�s Modernisation� � Dr. Yiping Li, School of Geography, University of Hong Kong;

• �China Outbound Market � from the Government�s Perspective� � Mr. Tony Tse, Programme Director (Industry Partnerships), School of Hotel and Tourism Management, PolyU;

• �Tips and Hints on Tapping into the Chinese Market� � Prof. Wolfgang Gerog Arlt, Dr. Hanqin Zhang and Mr. Tony Tse.

PolyU�s School of Hotel and Tourism Management was ranked fourth among the world�s top hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research in August 2005. With more than 40 academic staff drawn from 17 countries, it is also the only training centre in Asia recognised by the Education and Training Network of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).  The School is widely recognised as the leading player in hotel and tourism education in Asia. (Visit: www.polyu.edu.hk for more details)