TUI China opens its Shanghai Branch

TUI China celebrated the grand opening of its Shanghai branch on August 27th, 2013 

An affiliate of World of TUI, the world's leading tourism group, TUI China was established in late 2003 as the first joint venture with foreign majority share in the Chinese tourism industry. Its headquarters are in Beijing whilst its operations reach deep into the far corners of China. World of TUI generated approx. 50,000 predominantly western tourists to China yearly and provides M.I.C.E services for renowned companies worldwide.

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) has stated that China will become the largest receiving country in the world by 2020 with 130 million annual visitors and its outbound market will grow at an annual rate of 12.3 % until 2020, reaching 100 million outbound arrivals per year. Echoing these statements, The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts that business travel expenditures in China will reach US$277 billion by 2020, overtaking even the US. In fact, recent research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) indicates that in three years China will become the world’s largest business travel market. 

The future development of China`s tourism market is full of opportunities and challenges. TUI`s second China branch opens in Shanghai, which fully demonstrates the appeal and growth potentials of Shanghai`s tourism market as well as TUI China`s ambitions to expand its presence in the East China market in the future. TUI China`s operations in Shanghai will foster healthy competition among Shanghai`s tourism companies, and with its reputation and influence in the world market, TUI will also inject new vitality into Shanghai`s tourism market. Shanghai`s blueprint to become "Four Centers" as well as the recent news that the State Council has officially approved the creation of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone will set the stage for the development of Shanghai`s tourism companies.