Britain's tourism industry is being offered the opportunity to take up places on VisitBritain's Asia-Pacific mission - Destination Britain - to boost visits and spending in Britain. Over 1.9 million visitors from the 12 countries sending travel and tourism representatives on the unique trade mission spend more than £1.6 billion experiencing all that Britain has to offer.

From the 12 to 15 September, Destination Britain will take over the Sheraton Perdana in Langkawi, Malaysia for a morning workshop and two days of pre-arranged business appointments. Buyers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea will attend to meet with VisitBritain and its partners to discover the best accommodation, attractions and tours available for their clients on holiday or business in Britain. For the first time, the event welcomes buyers from Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

VisitBritain chief executive, Tom Wright, said:

"This is a superb opportunity for Britain's tourism industry to increase business from key Asia-Pacific countries. In 2003, spending in Britain by Chinese, Malaysian, South Korean and Taiwanese visitors together rose nearly 40 per cent and economic forecasts predict GDP growth in excess of six per cent in both China and India.

"With the Japanese Tourism Bureau forecasting a seven per cent rise in outbound travel over the summer, there has never been a better time to strengthen our links with tour operators to remind them of all that makes Britain a world-class destination."