This year's China International Travel Mart, which attracts nearly 1,100 travel organizations and associations from both at home and abroad, will begin in Shanghai on Friday.

Apart from nearly 600 participants from the Chinese mainland, another 80 come from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, while more than 400 come from foreign countries and regions, Cheng Meihong, deputy head of Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, told a media briefing on Thursday, adding that the mart has become the largest of its kind in Asia.

The annual mart that began in 1998 and hosted jointly by the National Tourism Administration, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and Shanghai Municipal People's Government will for the first time establish special exhibition areas for Chinese souvenirs and outdoor gears and apparel.

The three-day mart is accessible to both travel industry insiders and the public.