The event has reached the scale of its 2019 edition, indicating a strong recovery for the sector. Over 600 entities from the travel and tourism industries, hailing from more than 80 countries, have registered, marking an impressive 60% increase in scale from the previous year.
Lydia Li, Deputy General Manager of ITB China, said: “ITB China 2024 is a testament to the resurgence of China’s travel market. Despite ongoing challenges, the overwhelming participation of our exhibitors, buyers, and visitors reflects renewed confidence in the industry. With strong partnerships and an unparalleled number of international exhibitors, including many newcomers, this year’s event marks the return to pre-pandemic levels in China.”
Exhibitors
ITB China remains at the forefront of the Chinese tourism industry, displaying a full range of travel trade sectors, including Leisure Travel, MICE, Business Travel, and Travel Technology.
This year’s event features 11 new destinations making their debut on the exhibition floor, such as Almaty, Bahrain, Buenos Aires, Georgia, Hawaii, Korea, Morocco, Peru, Romania, Sarawak, and Uzbekistan. Joining them are notable new commercial entities including Artyzen Hospitality Group, CTG Travel, Egypt Air, Huawei, and Mize.
ITB China 2024 is set to host an eclectic array of exhibitors, representing a wide spectrum of tourism suppliers from across the globe. Participants hail from Asia and Oceania (31%), Europe (28%), China (16%), the Middle East (9%), the Americas (9%), and Africa (7%), showcasing a variety of categories within the tourism industry. These include Tour Operators (40%), Accommodation Providers (22%), National & Regional Tourism Promotion Organizations (17%), Travel Technology Companies (6%), Transportation Services (5%), Attractions (3%), and others (8%).
Long-standing participants such as Beijing, California, Egypt, the European Travel Commission, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Maldives, Malaysia, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and leading commercial suppliers like CTG TRAVEL, Expedia Group, Heytrip International, Jin Jiang International, Meliá Hotels International, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Tongcheng Travel, Trip.com Group, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and many others continue to show their support for ITB China. Their ongoing presence highlights their confidence in the event and the growth potential of the Chinese market.
Buyers
ITB China’s Hosted Buyer Program orchestrates highly effective B2B pre-scheduled meetings, connecting exhibitors with premier buyers. This year, the event boasts over 1,000 meticulously chosen buyers, a 40% increase from the previous year. These buyers span the breadth of the travel industry’s supply chain, with 65% dedicated to leisure travel and 35% to MICE and corporate travel. The primary regions for outbound buyers include major cities and provinces such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Liaoning, Chongqing, Hunan, Shandong, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Tianjin.
In response to increasing demand for Chinese offerings globally, ITB China has also introduced its first Inbound Buyer Program. This new initiative welcomes international buyers from top markets including the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Korea, who are eager to explore a variety of product categories.
Key areas of interest among these buyers include services from Tour Operators and Travel Agencies, Accommodation Providers, Business Travel and MICE specialists, Luxury Travel experiences, Travel Technology solutions, and Tourism Organizations and Associations.
Conference
The ITB China Conference, serving as a pivotal hub for knowledge within the travel sector, is set to deliver a diverse and comprehensive range of content specifically designed to meet the informational needs of both exhibitors and buyers. This platform will provide deep dives into both the Chinese and global tourism landscapes, featuring approximately 100 distinguished speakers discussing nearly 50 engaging topics. Participants will gain insights into current industry dynamics and future trends, including the effects of recent changes in visa policies on the travel market’s recovery.
One of the event’s key sessions includes an esteemed round table discussion co-hosted with the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), aimed at enhancing the professionalism and global reach of China’s MICE sector. Furthermore, the conference will highlight a keynote presentation from Trip.com Group, a principal contributor to the ITB China Travel Trend Report 2024/25, which will shed light on new trends, consumer behaviors in the Chinese market, and emerging opportunities.
Additionally, this year marks the debut of a “China Inbound Tourism” segment at the conference. This new focus aims to gather international experts and leaders to discuss the growth prospects of China’s inbound tourism, correlating it with outbound and domestic travel trends.
Networking
ITB China stands as the leading B2B industry expo, playing a crucial role in connecting industry experts, facilitating significant business interactions, and providing extensive networking possibilities. This year’s edition includes a series of networking events, such as the Official Opening Dinner featuring this year’s Partner Destination, Maldives, the well-attended Cruise Night hosted alongside Trip.com, the Beijing Night organized by the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, and the After-Show Sundowner in collaboration with TUI Blue.
Tags: Global Tourism Leaders, global travel industry, Lydia Li, ITB China 2024, Shanghai, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Travel Events
