FHC China 2008 will be bigger than ever

With a middle to upper class market currently estimated at 250 million people and expected to double to 500 million by 2015, demand for imported and high quality food and wines in China are growing rapidly.

Add to this mix tourist arrivals topping 100 million a year, boosted by major events including the Beijing Olympics 2008 and World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, and it comes as no surprise that international food and wines exporters are rushing to establish market share in this booming economy.

 An indicator of the growing interest in this market by international companies is the number of national and regional food and wine marketing groups that are joining FHC China 2008. According to the organisers China International Exhibitions, CIE, a record 26 national and regional pavilions have already registered to participate for the twelfth presentation of this food, wine and hospitality trade show from December 4 to 6 this year in Shanghai.

The 2007 edition of FHC attracted 786 companies from 40 countries. "Advance bookings by companies and groups to-date indicate that the 2008 show will exceed this number" says Renee Lu, Communications Manager for CIE. Billed as the largest and longest running imported food and wine exhibition in China, FHC has been a measure of the progress within the food and hospitality industry in China.

From 1993 and the opening of the first foreign owned supermarket in China and few star rated hotels, there are now more than 800 foreign owned supermarkets across the country plus 10 times that number of Chinese owned supermarkets. In addition, the HORECA market (hotel, restaurant and catering) is growing at 20% per annum. According to the China National Tourism Authority, CNTA, there were 14,000 star rated hotels in operation at the end of 2007. The CNTA report that 200,000 new hotels, resorts and guesthouses will be built by 2015. The WTO forecast China will be the number one tourist destination in the world by 2012.