Shanghai?will tap into the growing tourist souvenir market by identifying popular city characteristics and trends.

The Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission said yesterday it will release an annual souvenir trends forecast report from this year to promote the city's souvenir market.

"Shanghai has roughly 1,000 producers and operators of tourism souvenirs right now, according to incomplete statistics. And we will have a large flow of tourists and business opportunities in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai Expo," said Zhang Mode, senior economist of the tourism commission.

Produced by several agencies, including the Horizon Research Consultancy Group Shanghai office, and reviewed by experts, the trend report will be the first of its kind in China.

Folk customs and local culture are predicted to be popular.

"The statistics show that local specialties like spiced beans and pear syrup sweets are the most popular products among all kinds of souvenirs," said Fan Kaixi, vice president of Shanghai Institute of Design.

"Tourists who did not buy souvenirs thought the souvenirs lacked the character of Shanghai," Fan added.

(Shanghai Daily April 23, 2008)