Tag Archives: ITB China

In an exclusive interview with TravTalk Middle East, Naif Hassan Awlia, Tourism and Engagement Director of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, shared insights into the destination’s debut at ITB China. Representing Diriyah for the first time at the event, Awlia emphasized the strategic importance of China as a key source market, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s broader tourism vision. “As part of Diriyah’s tourism ecosystem, we closely follow the National Tourism Strategy,” Awlia explained. “China is a priority market for us. With the Kingdom targeting 150 million visitors annually by 2030, 5 million of those are expected to come from China—and we intend to play a significant role in achieving that goal.” He highlighted the purpose of their participation at ITB China: to connect with leading travel trade partners, including platforms such as Alibaba and Trip.com, and tailor their offerings to resonate with Chinese travellers. “We’re here not only to tell our story but to understand and align with the narrative that appeals to the Chinese market,” he concluded.

ITB China officially opened last evening withTravTalk ME as media partner and Malaysia tourism as the destination partner. Speaking at the opening dinner last evening, David Ruetz, Senior Vice President Messe Berlin shared that they anticipate over 700 exhibitors from around 90 countries and regions, while the number of buyers is set to increase by 30%, reflecting the growing global interest in the event. The Honourable Dato Sri Tiong King Sing – Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia shared the importance of ITB China as they become destination partner promoting 2026 as Visit Malaysia year. Ruetz addressing the audience reiterated, ” We are truly honored to be celebrating this evening with over 700 esteemed representatives from across the travel industry – all united under one roof. The global travel industry is on an exciting trajectory, full of dynamism and renewed energy. The momentum is especially felt and vibrant here in China. We are witnessing not just a mere recovery, but a reimagining of the sector. Chinese travelers are maturing, seeking deeper, more meaningful journeys. And destinations respond by offering more immersive and personalized experiences. Travel is evolving, and China is at the forefront of these new and exciting trends. The 6th edition of ITB China is a clear reflection of that momentum. We are thrilled to announce that ITB China has expanded by an impressive 30% compared to last year, underscoring the growing relevance and confidence in this market. Over the next three days, we will bring together more than 700 exhibitors from 85 countries, and 1,400 hosted buyers from every province in China and across the globe. This is a powerful signal of trust in the market, in the …

Speaking with TravTalkME Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager ITB China shared that one of the key emerging trends seen over the past few months is an increase of outbound travel with Chinese travellers opting for MICE and business travel to the Middle East. According to the recent report by Trip.com, there were destinations that fall in the medium- and long-haul outbound travel categories that witnessed significant growth, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and the Maldives, among others along the Belt and Road Initiative, experiencing high order growth rates, increasing by over 800%, 60%, 40%, and 40% respectively compared to 2019. Countries farther away such as the UK, Argentina, and Norway also saw significant increases, with growth rates exceeding 60%, 40%, and 200% respectively compared to 2019.

Speaking with TravTalkME on the sidelines of ITB China, Abdelkhalek Mostafa – Regional ecommerce Director Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts shared that Chinese travellers have become one of the main source markets for their hotels and resorts across Egypt over the past few years. The main attraction of the Chinese is their world renown theme park, the largest by the name of ‘Neverland City’ in Hurghada. Ensuring that the source markets are provided all facilities is a key factor for destinations, hence Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts too have  introduced many facilities to cater to this important clientele. Ranging from family oriented resorts to adult only resorts, Pickalbatros Hotels and Resorts have established a formidable name with their clientele from across the world.

Speaking with TravTalkME at ITB China, Amr Elkady CEO Egypt Tourism Authority shared that 2023 was a good year for Egypt as they received 230,000 visitors and they are looking at closing 2024 with 300,000 visitors from China. He reiterated that the Chinese leisure market has grown exponentially over the past few years and increase of air connectivity between the two destinations is one of the main reasons for the increase of travellers from China. Elkady shared that there are many programmes rolled out at present to ensure that there are more visitors inbound to Egypt and among them is a special incentive programme for the aviation sector, where if you fly from any destination to any of the airports in Egypt (apart from Cairo) the airline receives a cash incentive. Both B2B and B2C are kept updated with the latest facilities, programmes and interests to ensure that they make the most of the opportunities which lie ahead. Apart from the leisure travellers Egypt tourism is working on MICE and corporate travel especially from China, Elkady shared,”it is important that both parties meet the right contacts for MICE and corporate travel, as a tourism board we are looking at educating and providing the rightful platforms for the sectors. However, this will take longer but it will be a sustainable process when it comes to the market.”

With TravTalk ME as media partner ITB China and the ITB China Conference kicks off today in Shanghai. The three day networking event expects over 650 tourism companies gather together this year. ITB China will play a crucial role in reconnecting global travel suppliers with the resurgent Chinese market, forging a collective path forward for the industry. As Chinas premier B2B travel trade show, ITB China will once again reflect the entire travel trade spectrum, with suppliers from around the world covering Leisure Travel, MICE, Business Travel, and Travel Technology. In view of the increasing demand from buyers, MICE will gain in importance as a key topic, and more in-depth presentations and discussions will take place on stage of the ITB China Conference 2024. Furthermore, the China Inbound Tourism segment will be relaunched this year. The rising popularity of Custom-themed Travel in the Chinese market and the profound impact of Travel Technology guarantee a rich variety of content sessions, activities and awards, complemented by insights from experienced travel professionals and forward-thinking opinion leaders.

TravTalk ME as media partner will be at ITB China and the ITB China Conference, China’s travel industry think tank from 27 to 29 May at Hall 1 of the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. TTME spoke with Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager ITB China to find out more about the much anticipated exhibition for the world. “ITB China is set to play a crucial role in reconnecting global travel suppliers with the resurgent Chinese market, forging a collective path forward for the industry. As Chinas premier B2B travel trade show, ITB China will once again reflect the entire travel trade spectrum, with suppliers from around the world covering Leisure Travel, MICE, Business Travel, and Travel Technology. In view of the increasing demand from buyers, MICE will gain in importance as a key topic, and more in-depth presentations and discussions will take place on stage of the ITB China Conference 2024. Furthermore, the China Inbound Tourism segment will be relaunched this year. The rising popularity of Custom-themed Travel in the Chinese market and the profound impact of Travel Technology guarantee a rich variety of content sessions, activities and awards, complemented by insights from experienced travel professionals and forward-thinking opinion leaders. “As for now, country pavilions such as Saudi-Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan will be participating at the show. Around 650 tourism companies from nearly 80 countries are expected to showcase their products and services and meet with more than 1000 pre-selected top Chinese buyers attending the event. There will be new exhibitors this year as well as welcoming back so many of our previous exhibitors, we are delighted to welcome so many new countries and companies …

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts becomes the Official Partner Hotel of ITB China 2021, which is set to take place as a physical event in Shanghai from 24 – 26 Nov 2021, with a virtual extension from 8 Nov to 31 Dec 2021. With over 8,900 hotels and 21 established brands across nearly 95 countries, the world’s largest hotel franchising company becomes the official partner hotel of ITB China for the third year in a row. The corresponding agreement was formally signed on 29 June, by Jane Yang, Senior Director, Commercial, Asia Pacific, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Mr. David Axiotis, General Manager of Messe Berlin (Shanghai), the organizer of ITB China. The hotel industry giant will have a strong presence on both the physical and digital show floor of ITB China, introducing its brand-new products and innovative services to the industry in one place. Mr. David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China, said: “We are very delighted to continue our strategic partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The dynamics and synergies that come from our show has helped forge many mutually beneficial industry partnerships. We believe that the new hybrid format of ITB China 2021 will be the perfect platform for our partners to develop their business and organize marketing campaigns.” Joon Aun Ooi, President of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Asia-Pacific, said: “As the largest B2B show for the travel trade in China, ITB China is an excellent platform for hoteliers to form meaningful connections with travel agencies, convention organizers and corporate clients. We are honoured to be the Official Partner Hotel of ITB China for the third time – a strong testament of our long-standing partnership as well as …

The organizers of ITB China have announced to host an offline industry gathering at the end of June in place of the ITB China Special Edition trade event originally scheduled in Beijing from 7- 8 May. The industry gathering will be an invitation-only networking event for China-based industry professionals to exchange updates and insights on the future of the Chinese travel market. ITB China Special Edition had been designed at the end of last year as a complimentary event to ITB China 2021 in November and to serve as an industry-hub for informational and commercial exchange towards an expected gradual recovery of China’s international travel market. With strict cross-border travel restrictions still being in place in China, the prospects of international travel to and from China are not reliably predictable at this point in time and Chinese travel agencies are therefore not yet ready to resume regular business activities with regards to purchasing, packaging and promoting international travel products. “Reflecting the current market situation, the trade-focused event – ITB China Special Edition – could not fulfill its intended function and thus would not meet the standard of business value that ITB China had committed to deliver to its partners and customers,” said David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China. “However, the industry’s desire to stay in touch in person continues unabated, and that is exactly what we will be doing in the first half of 2021 by providing a pure networking occasion to meet face-to-face. At the same time, backed by the anticipation of a powerful resumption of Chinese cross-border travel shared by all our partners, we are moving ahead on the coming ITB China in November with innovative solutions …

ITB China organizers have announced to launch an ITB China Special Edition in 2021. The two-day business event will make its debut in Beijing from May 7 – 8,  2021, to deliver an innovative showcase for business exchanges while providing a stage for sharing industry insights for the travel industry. The regular edition of ITB China 2021, together with the accompanying ITB China Conference in Shanghai, is being rescheduled to November 24-26, 2021. “Fueled by promising news about vaccine developments we all anticipate upward trends in 2021. The way to real market recovery, however, will be a steady and gradual one that our industry will have to walk jointly in order to reach a post pandemic new normal”, said David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China, further adding, “As the next major milestone, ITB China is once again leading the way with a tailor-made event format, the ITB China Special Edition 2021. Taking place in Beijing in spring next year, we expect a promising outlook on cross-border travel and emerging business opportunities at that time. Lastly, ITB China 2021 in Shanghai is set to once again serve as the leading platform to connect with the world’s largest travel source market, strategically rescheduled to the end of the year, paving the way for a strong rebound of the industry in 2022.” “The progressive recovery of the Chinese travel market is a highly encouraging sign to the tourism sector in Europe. Together with our members, we will continue monitoring the latest changes in the industry and building on our close cooperation with Chinese partners to prepare for a speedy recovery of international travel as soon as the health situation allows,” said Eduardo …