Influence of the Yiwu Fair on the development of business travel and the local economy

The issue of how to manage the operation of the exhibition industry in order to promote local economies has become more significant in recent years, especially in many medium‐ and small‐sized cities. As a branch of municipal industrial systems, the exhibition industry plays an important and active role in the development of local industries and economies. For this reason, several Chinese cities have achieved great successes by choosing to use the exhibition industry as an entry point for city management strategies. Incorporating the exhibition industry with city management goals helps medium‐ and small‐sized cities to actively develop and provide basic infrastructure and conditions for the mutual benefit of the cities, the exhibitions, and their participants. This article provides evidence of how the China Yiwu International Commodities Fair promotes business travel to the city of Yiwu, thereby demonstrating the importance of strong relations between the exhibition industry and local economic development. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.