At ITB China, set to take place from 15 – 17 May 2019 in Shanghai, the rising demand for exhibition space by European destinations continues to reflect the trend of Europe remaining the number one long-haul destination for Chinese tourists. Being the largest regional pavilion exhibitor, the European Travel Commission (ETC) will have a stronger exhibition presence at the three-day B2B travel show with the majority of ETC members with a presence in China having already signed up for ITB China 2019.
The ETC is presenting transnational cultural and natural experiences in the European pavilion along with other European countries having additional individual presences on the show floor such as Finland, Germany or Portugal. The growth potential of countries and regions from South- and Eastern Europe is also well reflected.
Among many others, the Catalan Tourist Board, Malta Tourism Authority, Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd and Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo will present their services and products to China’s top travel buyers and trade visitors at ITB China next year.
Commenting on the development, David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China said: “the initiative of the EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) is already making progress, especially in regard to more Chinese tourists heading to Central and Eastern Europe. European countries put on a strong display at ITB China next year, which is no surprise. According to a trend report by Forward Keys and the European Travel Commission (ETC), Europe sees a huge growth in Chinese visitors. In the first four months of 2018, Chinese arrivals in Europe were up 9.3 percent.”
Eduardo Santander, Executive Director at European Travel Commission noted “The success of the EU-China Tourism Year demonstrates the benefits of working together for European destinations to become more competitive in China. We are glad to continue and further strengthen the cooperation with our Chinese and European partners at ITB China next year. Only with their support and commitment Europe will succeed in fostering sustainable tourism growth from the Chinese market in the years to come.”
About ITB China and the ITB China Conference
ITB China 2019 will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 15 to 17 May, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Hall 1. ITB China is a three-day business to business travel trade fair that focuses exclusively on the Chinese travel industry. The ITB China Conference will take place parallel with the show and is co-organized by the leading conference organizer TravelDaily (www.traveldaily.cn).
