Fosun explores sale of minority stake in $800 million Club Med
Chinese conglomerate Fosun International is exploring the sale of a minority stake in its luxury resort chain Club Med, targeting a valuation of $800 million for the whole business, according to Reuters. Fosun could sell as much as a 30% stake.
Didi builds tourism-focused company in a bid to seek expansion
China’s ride-hailing giant Didi has recently set up a travel-related company, according to the corporate database Qichacha. The move indicates the company’s focus on tourism, as the new firm covers a wide range of businesses, including ticketing agency and mini-bus leasing business services to tourism project consulting.
China, cruises are Singapore residents’ top travel plans during Chinese New Year
For this year’s Chinese New Year holidays (February 10 to 12), more residents in Singapore are taking advantage of the long weekend and heading overseas. Two major travel agencies in the country have noticed a surge in outbound bookings over the festive period, with China emerging as a top destination of choice.
Chinese tourists in hot water for criticizing Malaysian food
Videos of two Chinese tourists defaming Malaysian food have circulated widely on social media, sparking online outrage. In the footage shared on Chinese social media platform Douyin, a Chinese man was seen advising fellow Chinese tourists to bring instant noodles when visiting Malaysia, criticizing the local food for lacking taste.
Amidst diplomatic row, China displaces India as largest tourism market for Maldives
China has overtaken lndian tourists visiting the Maldives, according to official figures from the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism. As of February 4, China occupied the number one slot (11.2%) market share in 2024, while lndia slipped down to 5th position with 16,536 tourists (7.7% market share in 2024). This could result from a backlash against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media after Modi posted photos and video of his visit to the pristine Lakshadweep Islands.
Maye Musk visits Shanghai, her son Elon says ‘more people should visit China’
American author and model Maye Musk is in China again as the country is preparing to celebrate the impending Spring Festival holidays. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, son of Maye Musk, said, "More people should visit China." The comments came as Chinese people prepare to celebrate the annual Spring Festival at the same time that China is seeking to woo more foreign visitors for business and tourism.
China's travel boom buoys global expectations
As the eight-day Spring Festival holiday draws closer, global tourist destinations are keen to attract Chinese holidaymakers, with high hopes for a tourism boom. In a video message last week, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin extended a warm welcome to Chinese tourists, as they had been the largest source of inbound tourism for the country.
Tourism bureaus across China are actively promoting local attractions and employing innovative strategies to entice visitors. Featuring unique local traditions such as distinctive dressing-up, traditional dances and delectable cuisine, these efforts aim to captivate tourists in the lead-up to the Spring Festival holiday.
Emerging trends in tourism reflect differentiated choices of Chinese consumers
New travel trends that frequently emerged in China in 2023 have indicated differentiated needs, personalized choices, and different consumer attitudes of Chinese tourists. The varied approaches have mirrored Chinese people's continuous pursuit of travel experiences that best suit their preferences.
Cathay Pacific brings back daily flights to Perth
Cathay Pacific has resumed daily services to Perth Airport for the first time since the pandemic. The Hong Kong-based carrier is now flying 294-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft into Perth. This is an upgrade from its five-days-weekly A350-900 service, which offered 280 seats each way as of 6 December, up from the previous three flights per week.
Dubai event showcases China's ice and snow tourism
A special event took place in Dubai last Friday to showcase ice and snow tourism resources in Northeast China's Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces, as well as Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Liu Yang, head of the China Cultural Center in the UAE, emphasized that tourism resources in China and the UAE are highly different and complementary. He pointed out the broad prospects for tourism cooperation between the two nations.
Over 2,000 tourists from China to arrive in Langkawi this month via chartered flights
Malaysia's Langkawi island is on the right tourism recovery path from pandemic impact with over 2,000 travelers from Chengdu and Chongqing, China, arriving in eight chartered flights this month.
Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern launch partnership
Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern announce a new codeshare agreement, strengthening vital business and leisure connections to East Asia and providing greater access to more destinations throughout China. The first phase of the agreement will allow customers booking through Virgin Atlantic to connect seamlessly from the airline’s Heathrow to Shanghai services to other destinations in China on one ticket, including Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Xi’an.
Happy Valley kicks off space tours
Domestic theme park Happy Valley will join hands with Geespace, an aerospace information and communication infrastructure and application solutions provider, to offer immersive experiences. A series of space-related scenic spots, celebrations, art performances, creative cultural products and science popularization programs will be launched in the future.
