Berlin, 9 March 2016 – Debut for ITB China in May 2017 in the mega-city of Shanghai – cooperation with TravelDaily China and leading travel agencies lays the foundation for a second Asian ITB.
ITB Berlin is an export success story. Messe Berlin is to launch an international offshoot of one of its most successful trade fairs in China. Starting in May 2017, ITB China will take place annually on the grounds of the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center in the partnership with TravelDaily China, China’s leading online news portal and event organizer for the travel industry. ITB Asia is the model for ITB China. Over the last eight years Messe Berlin has organised this highly successful show every October in Singapore. As the second show in Asia, ITB China will take place in one of the leading industrial cities in the People’s Republic of China, with a population of around 23 million one of the largest cities in the world and exclusively focus on the Chinese travel market. First launched 50 years ago, ITB Berlin is recognised as the most successful trade show for the global travel industry. Some 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries are expected to attend this year’s event. Boasting 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, ITB Asia in Singapore has established itself as the leading travel trade show in Asia.
ITB China Signing Ceremony
For its premiere, ITB China already counts the big names of China’s travel industry on its partner list. Ctrip, China’s leading online travel agency, has already committed to send its buyers to ITB China to make large purchases of new products. “Our company is constantly growing and we look forward to expanding our international trade relations at ITB China“, said John Zhong, head of International Hotel Business Ctrip. The company, which counts Baidu as one of its largest shareholders, recently drew attention by making investments in its Chinese competitors, Qunar and eLong.
Alitrip, the travel brand of the Chinese internet giant Alibaba, has also announced that it will be sending buyers from affiliated travel agencies to ITB China. “We are delighted to be able to advertise ITB China to our partners as a promising business platform“, said Shaohua Li , President of Alitrip. Last year the company organised local and international trips for 100 million Chinese customers.
Utour and Caissa, China’s leading offline tour operator, as well as Tuniu, China’s leading online leisure travel platform, have as well partnered with ITB China and announced their participation through a strong presence of their buyers on the show floor.
As with ITB Asia in Singapore, ITB China will be for trade visitors only. In Shanghai, buyers and trade visitors from China will be able to meet international exhibitors and business partners. Visitors to ITB China can also take the opportunity to attend the ITB China Convention, which runs parallel and will be jointly organised with TravelDaily China. Travel Daily (www.traveldaily.cn) will co-organise ITB China, having made a name for itself with two events, the Travel Daily Conference and Hotel Marketing Conference. The organisers have been able to secure China Travel News (www.chinatravelnews.com), an English-speaking media platform with focus on China’s travel industry and powered by TravelDaily China, as the media partner.
Charlie Li, Founder and CEO of TravelDaily China
Dr. Christian Göke, CEO, Messe Berlin: “Our involvement in China opens another chapter in the 50-year history of ITB Berlin. With ITB Asia we have already provided impressive proof that a new travel industry event for trade visitors can establish itself outside Europe. In Shanghai we will be using all the experience of the last eight years from Singapore to establish ITB in China as a model of the global marketplace for the travel industry. In the long term our involvement in China will benefit ITB Asia in Singapore, and ultimately ITB Berlin.“
According to Dr. Martin Buck, division head, Messe Berlin, ITB China has already secured the cooperation of the country’s biggest travel agencies. Accordingly, says Dr. Martin Buck, “we will be able to guarantee our international exhibitors around 500 buyers from leading companies representing the Chinese travel industry at the three-day show, which will debut from 10 to 12 May 2017.”
Mr Charlie Li, Founder and CEO of TravelDaily China, said “We are very thrilled to partner with ITB to bring the world’s leading travel trade show to China, the largest travel market in the world. By combining ITB’s global network and 50-year experience of running travel trade show in Europe and Asia with TravelDaily’s experience of operating online media and organizing high-quality executive conferences in China, we aim to build the bridge connecting international exhibitors and Chinese buyers, which ultimately will benefit the global travel industry.”
