Organisers report a rising demand for exhibition space by European destinations at ITB China, which comes to Shanghai in May. They say it reflects the trend of Europe being the number one long-haul destination for Chinese visitors.
The European Travel Commission (ETC) will be the largest regional exhibitor at the three-day B2B travel show, with the majority of ETC members having a presence.
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 Southern and Eastern Europe is particularly is well reflected on the exhibitor list. The Catalan Tourist Board, Malta Tourism Authority, Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd and the Tourism Association of Sarajevo will all present their services and products to China’s top travel buyers and trade visitors at ITB China.
David Axiotis, General Manager of ITB China says: “The initiative of the EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) is already making progress, especially in regards to more Chinese tourists heading to Central and Eastern Europe.
A trend report by Forward Keys and the ETC adds that, in the first four months of 2018, Chinese arrivals in Europe were up 9.3%.
ETC Executive Director Eduardo Santander says: “The success of the EU-China Tourism Year demonstrates the benefits of working together for European destinations to become more competitive in China.”
For the last 11 years Messe Berlin has successfully organised ITB Asia in Singapore. Having hosted more than 1,000 exhibitors and over 1,000 buyers this year, ITB Asia 2018 recorded an increase of 8.9% of total visitors representing more than 127 countries.
As the second show in Asia, ITB China focuses entirely on the Chinese travel market when it takes place 15-17 May at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre.
