Macao attends biggest tourism fair in Portugal

The Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) set up a booth on Wednesday at the 2011 edition of Lisbon Travel Market (BTL) to elevate Macao's presence in the European market.

According to MGTO, BTL 2011 takes place from February 23 to 27 in Lisbon, with exhibitors coming from 43 countries and regions. The fair is open for tourism professionals only for the first two days and open to the public for the other three days.

To promote Macao and its culture, MGTO set up a 54 square-meter booth this year, featuring the UNESCO World Heritage, tourism characteristics, convention and exhibition facilities and gourmet.

BTL is organized in Portugal since 1989 and Macao has participated in the event since the first edition. The fair attracted around 980 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions last year.According to official statistics, Macao recorded nearly 250,000 visitors from Europe last year, registering a growth of 3.7 percent over 2009.

Source = xinhuanet