BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A group of visitors were attracted to the booth of Ireland decorated in Irish green, where they tasted Irish whisky, at the ongoing 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing.

The 2020 CIFTIS, which kicked off on Friday, is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Five Irish companies are attending the event offline, while seven others are going online, according to the Irish embassy in Beijing.

Xia Xiaojun, manager of Greater China division of Novaerus, an Irish company providing air disinfection technology, said the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the market's awareness of air disinfection and purification to a new level.

Novaerus hopes to bring its technology into China, said Xia, adding that attending the trade fair has enabled the company to find new customers, which provides opportunities for the company to better manage and develop its business.

The six-day event, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services, has launched a digital platform to allow foreign delegates to tour the fair virtually and trade online.

In Dublin, online exhibitors are looking for discovering more business opportunities through the fair as the pandemic has dealt a hard blow to global economy.

Patrick Leonard, chief executive of Smartline, a Dublin-based startup engaged in automation of design services, said China has many large projects underway and the Chinese market is big with a large manufacturing base, which provides a good business opportunity for companies like Smartline.

The fair also shows that China is willing to make globalization more open and inclusive, he said.

Finbarr Cleary, vice chairman of Ireland China Science and Technology Association (ICSATA), said the cloud stand set up by his organization had already received over 300 page views as of Friday, ranking No. 12 in the overall e-stands section.

As a non-profit organization registered in Ireland, ICSATA has been engaged in promoting collaboration between Ireland and China, particularly in areas of technology, trade, culture and education, Cleary said, adding that he believes the CIFTIS platform will enhance business exchanges between the two countries.

Cork County Council, another virtual exhibitor, aims to promote tourism of the county.

"We decided to exhibit at this particular conference because we are very aware that there is a growing market in China and many Chinese people are travelling outside China, particularly into Europe," said Sharon Corcoran, director of Economic Development and Tourism with Cork County Council.

"We would be delighted to welcome Chinese visitors and we know that they wouldn't be disappointed by what they find when they come to Ireland," she added.

Chinese visitors are of growing significance for the Irish tourism industry. Last year, an estimated 100,000 Chinese people visited Ireland, according to Tourism Ireland, and it expects the number to double to 200,000 in 2025.