Sources with the organizing committee said they expected fewer visitors due to the cancellation of aerobatic performances.

They estimated that 200,000 visitors might come to see the air show this year, compared with 600,000 for the last show two years ago.

But one publicity official, who preferred to be unnamed, said the number of ordinary spectators could be even fewer than 200,000.

"It's an optimistic prediction," he said. Feedback from local hotels and travel agents suggests that few visitors have booked hotels or air show tickets so far.

Professional visitors, including media and aviation companies, maintained the 20,000 to 30,000 level this time, and the official said they were the only stable visitor groups for the air show.

The official suggested they had received hints from senior officials that the aerobatic performance would return to Zhuhai for the next show.

"Spectators need something exciting, and the aerobatics provide it," the official said.

Although the number of visitors is down, the organizing committee said it would not lose money on the air show.

"We only had to invest several million yuan in upgrading facilities for the show, thanks to the investment in the first three exhibitions," said Yu Binglin, vice-director of the show.

Zhuhai's major luxury hotels accommodated large numbers of professional visitors from the start of this month, and Yu believes the show is bringing handsome returns to Zhuhai's tourist industry.

Rumors that the fifth international air show would be moved to Shanghai were officially denied by the organizing committee which confirmed the next air show would be held at the same place in 2004.

Media reaction to the air show this time around has been a bit cool compared with the response to earlier exhibitions. Many reporters coming from outside Zhuhai began to leave even the day after the opening ceremony.

A reporter from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, who had covered the three previous air shows in Zhuhai, said the fourth show was the poorest one, no matter whether considered from the point of view of attendance, exhibition products, or enthusiasm.

Zhuhai's service industries are fairly beaming about the aviation gathering. Hotels, taxis and restaurants were obviously the big winners.

The boss of a seafood restaurant that opened 24 hours a day during the time, surnamed Zheng, said they had to ship in large amounts of fresh seafood from nearby cities every day to feed the huge volume of customers.

(China Daily November 7, 2002)