Officials at Birmingham's NEC were defiantly optimistic last night as another exhibition announced it was switching to London.

The British Travel and Trade Fair (BTTF), currently running at the NEC, will move to ExCel, the international exhibition centre in London's Docklands, from 2009.

The move follows the British International Motor Show's relocation to ExCel in 2006, the first time the show appeared in the capital in 30 years.

The Clothes Show, which found its home at the NEC since 1990 to become the largest fashion and beauty event in the world, is also expanding at ExCel in May 2009. However, the NEC will remain the first stop in December.

Reed Travel Exhibition did not re-tender for the £140,000 contract to run the BTTF and Visit Britain selected IMIE, also behind the Motor Show's move to the capital.

Visit Britain believes the move will attract more trade buyers and plans to showcase the 2012 Olympic venues to travel and trade buyers.

The new show, from 26-29 March 2009 at ExCel, will be re-branded 'Best of Britain' and be expanded to four days, from a trade-only event to include three days open to the public.

The NEC was chosen originally for its central location and there was concern over the difficulty of home-grown business travelling to London.

Debra Smith, marketing and communications director at the NEC, said: "Shows move venue and the NEC wins more contracts than it loses. In the last two years 54 new shows have been secured and a significantly lower number have left."

She said the BTTF was a relatively small show and new shows would be brought into the vacant slot. The Caravan and Motor Home Show, as well as the Sports Personality Award Show have moved in the opposite direction.