Western China's largest tourism exhibition, the Second Chengdu International Travel Fair, kicked off in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on Dec 6.

Nearly 200 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions are participating in the three-day event, a substantial rise over last year's 118 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions.

Chengdu is revving up its internationalization through hosting such events. The city expects to hold 151 international meetings and exhibitions this year, an approximately 30 percent increase over last year. An important hub for business, finance, transportation, communications and technology, the city ranks first in total economic output among China's western cities.

A recent development in the tourism sector has seen Chengdu implementing 72-hour visa-free stays for international transit passengers from 45 countries. Chengdu is the fourth city and the first in Western China to introduce the policy, following Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

"It's a major sign of the city's opening-up to international business and leisure visitors, and the policy will further propel the growth of the region's tourism industries" said He Yudong, deputy director of Chengdu Tourism Administration.

Edward Liu, group managing director of the Conference and Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (Singapore) said: "In view of the tourism industry developments, the CITF strives to play more influential roles in growing the region's travel and tourism industries by providing the ideal platform for exhibitors and local industry stakeholders to network and explore potential business partnerships."