ITB Berlin News - Day 2

ASIA
REGION
27
© FVA China
© FVA China
© FVA China
Guilin Great wall of China
The Forbidden City entrance
China Rides High on Increased
Tourism Investment
From theme parks to high speed rail development, China is improving
and diversifying its tourism offering to great effect
As a growing contingent of Chinese hotel groups, travel companies and tour operators
descend on ITB Berlin, Shi Xiang, Director of the China National Tourism Association (CNTA)
Frankfurt Office, spoke to ITB Berlin News about the latest progress in the Chinese market.
The Chinese tourism market has
been growing rapidly in recent
years. The growing middle class
in China is increasingly seeking
travel experiences and leisure
activities both within China and
abroad. Therefore, Chinese travel
companies, tour operators, hotel
groups and theme parks have
recorded impressive financial
gains in the last years.
What are some of the key trends
that are driving the Chinese
tourism market forward?
Among the biggest trends are
theme parks including the Disney
theme parks or the Wanda theme
parks, which each encompass huge
areas that include entertainment,
food and accommodation all in one
place. Another growing trend is
cruise holidays. Luxury and middle
class trips on rivers in China and
overseas, including Southeast Asia
and various western countries, are
highly requested at the moment.
Chinese companies are massively
investing in European tourism
infrastructure. How does this help
bolster Chinese outbound tourist
figures towards Europe?
By investing in the tourism
infrastructure in Europe, Chinese
companies are aiming to improve
and simplify the conditions and
experience for Chinese outbound
tourists. In the future, this could
also include paying and booking
methods that could be more
adjusted to Chinese needs. This
would also help attract more
tourists from China.
Speaking of infrastructure, in
China we have seen the recent
opening of your major east-west
high speed rail link. What will
this change for tourism in the
less developed south-west of the
country?
Infrastructure is a very important
factor for the economy and
especially for the tourism industry.
Lately China has invested very
strongly into the infrastructure of
the country, especially to support
and connect the less economically
developed provinces in the
western part of China with the
prosperous east coast. Numerous
high speed railways and highways
have been opened in recent years,
making the transport connections
for tourists faster and easier.
Your government has recently
announced a move to increase
spending on tourism infrastructure
by 20% per year by 2020 - when
investment will total 2 trillion
Yuan. What are the key goals of
this increased investment?
The demand for tourism products
in China has grown significantly.
As a result, the tourism industry
has huge market potential and is
now a strong engine for economic
growth. To fulfill this potential,
infrastructure and public services
require continued improvement.
As the tourism industry has a
very high demand for employees,
supporting the industry will also
contribute to an increase in
Chinese GDP. Therefore, these
investments will not only improve
tourism products but create
new jobs, improve the overall
infrastructure, and support the
broader economy.
How important is ITB Berlin as a
global platform for your DMO and
individual exhibitors?
The ITB is a very important
opportunity for networking and
connecting with international
tour operators, touristic service
providers and of course with the
end consumer. In the international
tourism market, ITB Berlin is a very
highly valued and well-known
event. That’s why we participate
in the trade show every year and
encourage individual Chinese
exhibitors to take part in it as well
Shi Xiang
Director, China National Tourism
Association (CNTA) Frankfurt Office
Hall 26c / Stand 311
ITB BERLIN NEWS • Thursday 9 th March 2017