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MELBOURNE, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The glitz and glamour of the Melbourne Cup carnival is set to head to China later this year, as race organizers attempt to grow international interest in what is already one of the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
In what the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) has described as the "biggest tourism activation" event ever held in China, racing ambassador and renowned Chinese tennis star Li Na will headline three Melbourne Cup-branded fashion shows in Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing.
Kicking off in Shanghai on Aug. 15, the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashion Competition will attempt to woo Chinese horse racing fans to attend the famous race in Australia.
VRC Chief Executive Simon Love said engaging with "the world's biggest tourism growth market" as part of its international strategy would result in greater international interest in what is regarded in Australia as "the race which stops a nation".
"We have taken giant strides into the Chinese market over the past three years, with Chinese visitation to the Melbourne Cup Carnival growing by 152 percent over this time," Love said in a VRC statement released on Monday.
"Initiatives such as this pave the way for this trend to continue and provide our travel agent partners with a taste of the world class racing, fashion, entertainment and hospitality their clients can enjoy at the Melbourne Cup Carnival."
Li, who won the 2014 Australian Open, said Melbourne was one of her favorite cities, and that the lively Cup Carnival was an experience not to be missed while on tour in China as well as in Australia.
"I always look forward to my visits to Melbourne to experience the wonderful fashion, food entertainment and sport the city offers," Li said in a statement.
Love said appealing to Chinese horse racing fans was crucial for the future success of the Carnival, which is currently worth around 300 million US dollars to Melbourne's economy.
"The visitors come to the Carnival not just for the racing and the fashion, but also to experience one of the world's most picturesque and famous racecourses, to dine in its restaurants, picnic on the lawns amongst the rose gardens and celebrate with locals and visitors from all corners of the globe," Love said in a statement.
"It combines the best of what Melbourne and Australia has to offer and there's nothing like it anywhere in the world."
The 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 and includes four race days at the world-famous Flemington Race track.
