Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #38

Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #38
2018 Spring Edition 11
David Axiotis
General Manager, ITB China
ITB CHINA PARTNERS
EU-CHINA TOURISM YEAR
Bridge between the prospering Chinese travel market
and the rest of the world
ITB China has become the official partner
event of EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY),
and for the second year, Europe be the
largest exhibitor at the event.
2018 is a special year for both the Chinese and
Europe travel industry with EU-China Tourism
Year (ECTY) marking a special collaboration
between two major travel markets. But the
importance of the cross-continent promotion
has been boosted with the announcement
that ITB China has become an official partner
event of the ECTY.
With the first ITB China marking its successful
premiere in 2017, the show has instantly
established itself as a vital new travel industry
marketplace in the far east. And with the
ECTY designed to help EU and Chinese
tourism businesses, authorities and all other
stakeholders participating in successful
commercial and cultural exchanges between
the European Union and China, teaming up
ITB China and the ECTY makes good strategic
sense.
At a pre-show press conference during ITB
Berlin, David Axiotis, General Manager ITB
China, stated, “To enhance the visibility of
the European countries as appealing travel
destinations in Greater China and promote
mutual exchanges between Europe and
China, I see the EU-China Tourism Year as the
best initiative one can think of and ITB China
as the best marketplace to be that connecting
bridge between the prospering Chinese travel
market, the world and specifically Europe.”
Eduardo Santander, Executive Director,
European Travel Commission, added that ITB
China is an excellent platform to showcase
Europe’s unique and diverse natural and
cultural heritage, and to foster cooperation
between tourism business in Europe and
China.
The dedicated Europe Pavilion at ITB China
will showcase a multitude of European
tourism products and destinations. As the
largest exhibitor, Europe will again have a
strong exhibition presence on the show floor
and will participate in numerous events in the
run-up to ITB China, which takes place from
May 16-18 in Shanghai
FINLAND
- PARTNER
DESTINATION
OF ITB CHINA
2018
Finland is the Partner Destination
of ITB China, and Heli Mende,
Director, Head of Visit Finland,
says Chinese travellers are a
very important tourism source
market for his nation: “We
are continually working to
enhance our partnership with
travel trade partners in China to
provide unique travel products to
Chinese travellers and ITB China
provides us with a great platform
to present Finland to Chinese
decision makers”