Routes Asia Officially Handed Over to Yunnan Airport Group

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Mar 11, 2014, 08:09 ET

KUCHING, Malaysia, March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Largest route development event for Asia to return to China in 2015 when the event takes place in Kunming

As the largest Routes Asia event to date draws to a close in Kuching, the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak and their co-hosts Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad have officially handed over to Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd the host of Routes Asia 2015.

This will be the fifth time that a Routes event has taken place in China. In 2007 Routes Asia was held in Hainan and the following year the event took place in Macau. World Routes 2009 took place in Beijing and, most recently, Routes Asia 2012 took place in Chengdu, hosted by Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. In 2015 the event, which will take place 15-17 March 2015, heads to Kunming, the capital and largest city of Yunnan province in Southwest China, hosted by Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd. owners of Kunming Changshui International Airport, and supported by their partners Yunnan Provincial Civil Aviation Development and Management Bureau and Yunnan Provincial Tourism Development Commission.

Speaking at the official handover ceremony which took place earlier today at the 12^th Routes Asia event which has been taking place in Kuching, Ms. Li Yinglin, Vice President of Yunnan Airport Group Co., Ltd said: "We believe that hosting Routes Asia 2015 will have important historical meaning for Kunming Changshui International Airport. We are delighted to invite all delegates to attend next year's event in Kunming and enjoy the beautiful sights of the Yunnan Province, experience the local 26 ethnical cultures and look for the dream of Shangri-La."

"After an incredibly successful event here in Malaysia it is fantastic that we are able to bring Routes Asia to China once again," explained Katie Bland, Director Routes, UBM Live: "Yunnan Airport Group has attended many Routes events over the years and we look forward to working more closely with their team over the next 12 months. Kunming Changshui International Airport is the seventh busiest airport in China with the most rapidly growing number of passengers and has undergone a complete reconstruction. Routes Asia 2015 will provide an opportunity to showcase this to the Routes community. With its beautiful landscapes and mild climate the Yunnan province is one of China's major tourist destinations and we are eager for our delegates to experience Kunming - the 'City of Eternal Spring' and Yunnan Province."

Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) is located just 27km northeast of Kunming city centre and is currently the seventh busiest airport in China in terms of passengers and the fifth busiest airport in terms of aircraft movements. In 2013, Kunming International Airport recorded 29.7 million passengers with an annual growth rate of 23.8%, including 2.17 million international passengers with an annual growth rate of 31%.

With its beautiful landscapes and mild climate the Yunnan province is one of China's major tourist destinations. Located at an altitude of 1,900m above sea level the city of Kunming, known as the 'City of Eternal Spring', enjoys an average temperature of 15°C. The perpetual spring-like weather provides the ideal climate for plants and flowers to flourish. This ideal ecological environment, along with the countless natural lakes in the region, creates beautiful landscapes which have made this destination a popular holiday resort in China.

Notes to Editors

About Routes

Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is one global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com

Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK‐based ASM Ltd., a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports. http://www.asm‐global.com. Routes and ASM are part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.

UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

About UBM plc

UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications company. We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and specialist content. Our 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

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SOURCE UBM Live Routes Ltd