China International Travel Mart (CITM) is one of the largest travel fairs in the Asia-Pacific region.[Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

The 2020 China International Travel Mart (CITM), one of the largest travel fairs in the Asia-Pacific region, was inaugurated on Monday in Shanghai.

The event will run for three days until Wednesday and will see nearly 1,500 representatives and exhibitors from around 50 countries and regions.

Covering an exhibition area of 45,000 square meters, the fair will showcase a wide range of fields including scenic spots, cultural and creative products and tourism services.

The fair has also been moved online to enable people from home and abroad to experience the latest travel products and services, and facilitate business negotiations for both sellers and buyers.

Following China's third import expo held in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10, analysts say the 2020 CITM is expected to enhance cultural and tourism cooperation with foreign countries and boost the confidence of the inbound tourism market in the long term.

Founded in 1998, the CITM has grown into one of the largest and most influential tourism fairs in the Asia-Pacific region.