ITB China News 2018 - Day 2 Edition

China 

Your Official Information Source at ITB China 

THURSDAY 

17 th MAY 2018 

DAY 2 

EDITION 

Stand No. 500 

Stand No. 

200/201 

Stand No. 430 

Welcoming Chinese 

Travellers to Europe 

EU-China Tourism Year takes a big leap forward 

at ITB China 

TRADE TALK 

Craig James 

China Manager, APT (Australian Pacific Touring) 

Because we have such a broad range 

of products (…) we are starting to look at 

offering the Kimberly, and the luxury 

private jet (…) and also other different 

itineraries that have never been offered 

before in China 

Read page 7 

SPECIAL FEATURE: LUXURY 

Jonathan Cheung 

CEO, Abercrombie & Kent – China 

Travelling by private jet allows guests to 

experience far more than a conventional 

itinerary - with greater comfort 

Read page 9 

A report just released by the European Travel 

Commission on tourist arrivals in the first 

part of 2018, shows more than one in two 

reporting destinations saw growth in Chinese 

tourists. Serbia (+254%) and Montenegro 

(+153%) reported fastest growth. Croatia and 

Poland were up 46% and 30% respectively, 

aided by increased promotional activities. 

Finland (+21%) also saw sustained growth 

benefitting from Finnair’s Asian strategy. 

The 2018 EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) 

is expected to further increase the visibility 

of Europe as a tourism destination in China 

and help sustain Europe’s inbound tourism 

market share. 

ITB China is an official partner event of the 

ECTY, and, as ITB China General Manager 

David Axiotis so rightly points out, “ITB 

China is the best marketplace to be that 

connecting bridge between the prospering 

Chinese travel market, the world and 

specifically Europe.” 

… An idea shared by James Jianzhang 

Liang, Co-founder, Executive Chairman of 

the Board, Ctrip, who says ITB China “helps 

all partners to engage in shaping the future 

of Chinese tourism” (read our exclusive 

interview page 8). 

James Jianzhang Liang 

Co-founder & Executive Chairman of the Board, Ctrip 

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT 

EUROPE 

DESTINATION 

EUROPE 

SPOTLIGHT 

© Office de Tourisme de Malte 

Eduardo Santander 

CEO , European Travel Commission 

The 2018 EU-China Tourism Year is a 

great opportunity for the European tourism 

industry to explore the Chinese market 

Read page 11 

China continues to fuel 

arrivals growth across 

European destinations 

helped by its expanding 

middle class, increased 

air connectivity and 

easier visa procedures, 

altogether contributing 

significantly to the surge of 

outbound travel from this 

market. Discover some of 

Europe’s top destinations 

showcased at ITB China in 

our special section, from 

page 11. 

Citadel, Victoria, Gozo, Malta

4 NEWS 

PREFACE 

Richard 

Barnes 

Belt and Road Moving 

Forward 

“Belt & Road” is often bandied 

about these days, but just what is 

the Belt & Road, and how do the 

pieces fit together? 

More than two millennia ago the 

diligent and courageous people 

of Eurasia explored and opened 

up several routes of trade and 

cultural exchanges that linked the 

major civilisations of Asia, Europe 

and Africa, collectively called the 

Silk Road by later generations. For 

thousands of years, the Silk Road 

Spirit of “peace and cooperation, 

openness and inclusiveness, 

mutual learning and mutual 

benefit”, has been passed from 

generation to generation, promoted 

the progress of human civilisation, 

and contributed greatly to the 

prosperity and development of 

the countries along the Silk Road. 

When Chinese President Xi Jinping 

visited Central Asia and Southeast 

Asia in September and October 

of 2013, he raised the initiative 

of jointly building the Silk Road 

Economic Belt and the 21st-Century 

Maritime Silk Road (now referred 

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to as the Belt and Road), which 

have attracted close attention from 

all over the world. These will also 

see enhanced cooperation in and 

expansion of the scale of tourism, 

the holding of tourism promotion 

weeks and publicity months in each 

other’s countries, joint creation of 

competitive international tourist 

routes and products with Silk 

Road features, and heightened 

convenience in applying for tourist 

visa in countries along the Belt and 

Road. 

Many at this year’s ITB China will 

be working to harmonise and move 

the project forward. Indeed, even 

conference sessions such as a 

keynote speech and a case study on 

the “Belt and Road Initiative – How 

Does It Affect the Business Events 

Industry in China?”, Moderated 

by Philip Pang, Marketing and 

Membership Manager, PCMA 

ICESAP, will spotlight this extremely 

important initiative. Yet another 

factor making ITB China a “not to 

be missed” event. 

• Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre • Managing Director: Jean-François Pieri 

• Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait • Project Manager: Wenchao Wang 

• Chief Analyst: Richard Barnes • Editorial coordination: Yingying Deng 

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• With the participation of: Bettina Badon, Naila Ben Ghorbal, Borhan Moussa, Finn-Georg Sander 

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• Cover: © Ctrip 

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ITB China 

2018 Kicks Off 

in Style 

ITB China’s second edition 

officially kicked off in style 

with an official ribboncutting 

ceremony at 9:30 am 

yesterday, followed by a tour 

of the show floor. 

Official attendees included Dr 

Christian Göke, CEO, Messe 

Berlin; Paavo Virkunnen, CEO, 

Visit Finland; Leo Liu President 

of Greater China, Wyndham 

Hotel Group; Dr Martin Buck, 

Senior Vice President, Messe 

Berlin; Eduardo Santander, 

Executive Director, ETC, 

Steven Shu, CMO, Meituan; 

David Axiotis, General Manager, 

ITB China; Rungang Zhang, Vice 

President & Secretary General, 

China Tourism Association; 

Bo Sun, Senior Vice President, 

Ctrip; Charlie Li, CEO, Travel 

Daily China; Elena Kountoura, 

Minister of Tourism, Greece; 

and Konstantinos Tsegas, 

General Secretary of Greek 

National Tourism Organisation. 

ITB has firmly established itself 

as an international brand. 

With the start of ITB China 

2018 the brand new ITB logos 

were launched, combining 

the individual profiles of three 

trade shows under the umbrella 

of an international hub. 

Changing views of the globe 

reference the individual 

trade show locations and create 

variations of a monolithic brand 

family which, sporting uniform 

trade show and product colours, 

font styles and logo designs, will 

in future be perceived globally 

as a single brand. 

With an expected attendee 

number of 15,000, more than 

700 exhibitors from 80 countries 

and around 800 buyers, 

China’s three-day B2B travel 

trade show shows significant 

growth after its premiere. The 

18,000 sq m of exhibition space 

was completely sold out well 

before the show. The success 

of ITB China is reflected in 

the 50% increase of the gross 

exhibition area compared 

to last year. Meanwhile, a total 

of 2,700 attendees are expected 

to take part in the lectures, 

discussions and keynotes of 

the ITB China Conference, 

supported by more than 

120 industry speakers. The 

recognized travel think tank, 

running parallel to ITB China, 

will invite business leaders and 

experts both from China and 

abroad to deliver their expertise 

and ideas on market hotspots in 

the industry 

ITB CHINA NEWS • Thursday 17 th May 2018 

www.itb-china-news.com

NEWS 

5 

What They Said… 

“Quotable quotes” from the official opening 

ceremony of ITB China 2018 

ITB China kicked off in inimitable style with an official opening 

ceremony on Tuesday evening at the Kerry Hotel in Pudong, 

Shanghai attended by 600 high level industry dignitaries from 

around the globe. Following is a non-exhaustive selection of 

quotes from some of the speakers. 

Dr Christian 

Göke 

CEO Messe Berlin 

Here we again have felt 

the power and the influence 

of ITB China and China Travel 

Daily. As the most important 

tourism exhibition, ITB China 

will offer you new business 

opportunities, new thinking, 

as well as the solutions to your 

existing challenges. We are 

looking forward to ITB China 

2018 which oversees the 

Leo Liu 

President, Greater China, 

Wyndham Hotel Group 

tourism and hospitality market 

in the Greater China region. 

I guess most of you have 

experienced the exponential 

growth in the history of the 

world’s tourism industry. In 

face of this fast growth and 

fierce competition, how we are 

going to overcome the future 

challenges, let’s explore the 

solution together. 

Now, supported by Messe 

Berlin’s 85 worldwide offices, our 

ITB team runs 3 shows every year: 

ITB Berlin, in Berlin, ITB Asia in 

Singapore, and for the second time, 

ITB China in Shanghai which is cohosted 

by TravelDaily. 

This is a special moment. I am 

thrilled to share with you our new 

ITB Global logos combining the 

individual profiles of three trade 

shows under the umbrella of an 

international hub. After its premiere 

last year, the success of ITB China is 

set to continue. 

ITB China builds bridges and offers 

a multitude of networking events 

and opportunities for making new 

valuable industry contacts. This 

is real social networking! But 

there’s one thing that’s even more 

important: Not only ITB China, but 

also tourism builds bridges - bridges 

connecting nations, companies and 

individuals. There’s a saying: ‘We are 

all foreigners, nearly everywhere’. 

And so, ultimately, I would argue 

that tourism and ITB China promote 

understanding among nations. 

I really want to 

congratulate the success 

which has been achieved by 

ITB China. We want to thank 

ITB, because after building 

the successful ITB Berlin, 

they have brought the global 

professional experiences 

into China and established 

the important ITB China 

platform. I also want to thank 

Travel Daily, because they 

have served as an important 

bridge for introducing ITB 

Zhang Rungang 

Vice-President & 

Secretary General, 

China Tourism 

Association 

into China. I also want to 

thank the companies for 

supporting ITB, and we have 

a very fast tourism market 

in China. The growth, speed 

and the size are very unique 

across the world. This has 

provided infinite opportunities 

to service providers across the 

world. ITB builds the platform 

to connect everyone in the 

industry. I wish the ITB China 

2018 a great success. 

Eduardo 

Santander 

Executive Director, 

European Travel 

Commission 

Jiqin Fang 

Senior Vice President, 

Ctrip Group 

Why ITB? Because they are the 

best. It’s a simple risk. We took the 

risk last year. It was the first time. 

Nobody knew how it was going to go. 

But we came and we demonstrated 

that we were a partner destination 

last year, representing the unity 

of Europe. If there is strength, it is 

when there is unity. And this is what 

we have to learn about this EU China 

Tourism Year. It’s not only about 

creating business, but it’s about 

joining two ancient civilisations, 

working together, and not only 

working together, but trusting each 

other. Also, looking in the same 

direction for sustainable tourism, 

for the future generations. The EU 

China Tourism Year is also a huge 

opportunity to connect not only the 

main destinations of Europe, but 

also the lesser known destinations 

in Europe, but also in China. 

I am here on behalf of the 

corporate service in charge 

of business trips for many 

companies. We know that in 

terms of service and market 

development, we are still 

lagging behind the excellent 

companies in overseas 

countries. So, taking ITB 

China, the important platform, 

we would like to learn from 

the excellent players from 

all across the world about 

business models, technology 

application, and innovative 

concepts. We want to build the 

world class service providers or 

companies in China’s tourism 

industry and contribute to the 

China dream. 

ITB CHINA NEWS • Thursday 17 th May 2018

6 ITB CHINA CONFERENCE 

ITB CHINA 

CONFERENCE DAY 2 

SHOWS LATEST 

TRENDS AND 

DEVELOPMENTS 

IN THE CHINESE 

TRAVEL INDUSTRY 

Travel Tech, Online Travel, Business Travel 

and MICE are on the agenda for the second 

day of the ITB China Conference on 17 May. 

The morning sessions of “Travel Tech” will 

be presented by Lei Guan, CEO from Beijing 

Babel Technology with the topic of “The 

Innovative Application of AI Translation in 

Cross-border Tourism”. Allen Chen, Vice 

President, JIGUANG will talk about “Big Data 

Application of Tourism and Analysis Practice 

of Tourist Behaviour” and Jarhead Gai, CEO, 

Yundijie.com will deliver a keynote speech 

on “Reform of Scientific and Technological 

Innovation in Supply Side of Customised 

Travel”. 

Bin Du, Vice President from Mafengwo.com 

opens the “Online Travel” sessions with a 

speech on “The Strategy of New Tourism: 

How to Grow Business in the Time of Great 

Changes” followed by a keynote from Wells 

Zheng, Vice President, Fliggy. Fisk Yu, CEO, 

Haoqiao.com discusses “The New Roles of 

the Travel Agencies in New Internet Era” 

afterwards. 

Meanwhile, the Business Travel Day will 

kick off with a panel on “How Technological 

Innovations Are Transforming Business 

Travel”. 

Alicia Yao Hong, Regional Vice President, 

PCMA ICESAP will set the scene for the MICE 

session featuring a keynote speech and a 

case study on the “Belt and Road Initiative 

– How Does It Affect the Business Events 

Industry in China?” 

ITB CHINA 论坛第二日 

将宣布中国旅游业最新 

趋势与发展 

2018 年 ITB China 参观嘉宾们敬请期待今年包含了 

超过 120 位业界资深人士参与的、振奋人心的论 

坛日程。 

ITB China 论坛是展示中国和全球旅游业最新趋势 

和创新的平台。此论坛是由环球旅讯联合主办 , 

举行于展会期间。今年论坛的第二天 ( 即 5 月 17 

日 ) 将聚焦旅游科技、在线旅游、商务旅行和会 

奖旅游。 

今年还将首次推出 “ 商务旅行 ” 专题讨论会 , 为商 

务旅行市场人士提供一个理想的学习和商务交流 

平台。 

“ 旅游科技 ” 早间会议演讲嘉宾及主题包括 : 北京 

分音塔科技 CEO 关磊将分享 “AI 翻译在跨境旅游 

的创新应用 ”、极光副总裁陈宇将分析 “ 旅游大数 

据应用与游客行为分析实践 ”、云地接首席执行 

官盖书华将讨论 “ 定制游供给侧的科技创新变革 ” 

。WeHotel、WebBeds、Hotelbeds、金陵酒店和德 

比软件的参会嘉宾将从 11 点到 11 点 50 分展开一场 

关于 “ 酒店营销新变局 ” 的座谈。 

在 “ 在线旅游 ” 演讲环节 , 马蜂窝旅游网副总裁都 

斌将探讨 “ 新旅游兵法 : 时代变革下的增长之道 ” 

; 飞猪副总裁郑伟斌也将做主题演讲 ; 好巧网首 

席执行官于章涛将探索 “ 互联网下半场的旅行社新 

业态 ”。 

最后 , 大会将举办第二届 “ITB China 旅游创业企 

业大奖 ” 颁奖典礼来结束这一天的日程。获奖者将 

被授予 ITB China 2019 免费展位。评审团由行业 

资深人士组成 , 包括 Phocuswright 创始人 Philip C. 

Wolf、携程旅行网投资部以及投资者关系部副总 

裁周世伟、光速中国基金合伙人韩彦、元钛长青 

基金合伙人游磬基 , 以及华住酒店战略投资和资 

本市场部副总裁叶菲。 

与此同时 , 在 “ 商务旅行 ” 专题讨论会中 , 将首先 

由 “ 科技创新如何引领商务旅行的变革 ” 的座谈开 

始 , 由 BCD Travel 大中华区董事总经理高思伟主 

持 , 座谈嘉宾包括 : 芬兰航空大中华区总经理罗 

伯特 (Robert Öhrnberg)、玛丽蒂姆酒店集团亚洲区 

市场销售副总裁段惠莲、泛嘉国际董事长 &CEO 

杨隐峰 , 以及 HRS 大中华区业务拓展总监许晓 

磊。今年 “ 商务旅行 ” 的独家合作伙伴是 : 国旅运 

通全球商务旅行、中航嘉信和 BCD Travel。 

在 “ 会奖旅游 ” 环节 , 亚太会奖活动协会 (PCMA 

ICESAP) 副主席姚红将围绕 “‘ 一带一路 ’ 政策如 

何影响中国的商业会奖与活动行业 ?” 的主题展 

开演讲。接着会由亚太会奖活动协会 (PCMA 

ICESAP) 销售及会员推广经理彭伟荣主持座谈 , 

座谈嘉宾包括 : 觅星创始人兼 CEO 徐璇炫、缇 

一 ( 上海 ) 商务咨询有限公司总经理欧明山、腾邦 

差旅集团副总裁张良 , 以及上海锦江旅游控股总 

裁助理林宇。 

最后 ,“ 商务旅行 ” 专题讨论会将举行差旅创新、去 

人工化服务和数字智能应用等主题的主题演讲和 

座谈会。其中 , 国旅运通全球商务旅行副总裁兼总 

经理谭浩凌将主持主题为 “ 一带一路下的商务差旅 

国际化 ” 的座谈 



TRADE TALK 

7 

Leading Australian Tour 

Operator Enters China Market 

Australian Pacific Touring leverages ITB China to promote new 

itineraries for Chinese travellers 

APT is very well known “down under” for its broad offering 

of travel products. Now the company is entering China, and 

ITB China is the gateway. We asked the company’s China 

Manager, Craig James, to tell us about APT’s background. 

The APT (Australian Pacific 

Touring) story started back in 

1927. There was a tram strike 

in Melbourne. Geoff McGeary’s 

father Bill had an old Bedford in 

the back yard and he put a few 

chairs in the back of the truck and 

started driving up and down the 

tram lines, because Melbourne 

was paralysed. But when the 

trams went back to work, the 

locals asked Bill to keep the 

service going. One bus route grew 

into two, three, four and five, and 

so on. In 1956, they realised there 

was more money in group travel, 

so they got rid of the bus routes, 

and bought some bigger coaches. 

In the 1960’s, the controversial 

musical, “Hair” was on in Sydney, 

and they started running weekend 

tours from Melbourne. From 

there, they stretched-out to New 

Zealand, the United States, in 

‘91 we started doing Canada and 

Alaska. We now do somewhere 

upwards of 9,000 passengers to 

Canada and Alaska. In 2006, 

we built our first ship. Today we 

have 18 ships cruising in Europe, 

two ships in the Mekong, two in 

Myanmar, and we now offer travel 

to every continent in the world. 

So, you’re Australia’s biggest tour 

operator? 

Yes, operating under a number 

of brands. The star is Captain’s 

Choice. So, if APT is five-star luxury, 

Captain’s Choice is six. Captain’s 

Choice does private ‘round the 

world jet tours. They were the 

original private jet operator. They 

first chartered a Qantas 767 back 

in 1992 and went around the 

world. That moved to Qantas 747s 

and now it’s a 50-seater 757 – still 

doing a variety of itineraries. They 

do Antarctic day trips – four hours 

down, four hours over the ice, and 

four hours back. I did it, and it was 

amazing. 

Then we have “Travel Marvel”, 

which is our value three and 

four-star brand, and we have 

“Botanica” – specialising in 

garden tours – everything green. 

They go beyond the garden gate 

into private gardens you couldn’t 

normally get into. 

How important is the Chinese 

market to you? 

It’s the international market we 

are currently going after. Because 

we have such a broad range of 

products, we are not only doing 

European river cruising here, 

which we’ve had here for three 

years, we are starting to look at 

offering the Kimberly, and the 

luxury private jet, so we’ve had 

a lot of collateral translated into 

Mandarin, and also other different 

itineraries that have never been 

offered before in China, such as 

a seven-night eastern European 

circuit just for Chinese travellers. 

What’s your take on ITB China? 

We have been searching to get 

into the Chinese market for about 

three years, in a couple of different 

ways. In the first year, we did full 

charters out of China. Now, we have 

an allocation of cabins on each of 

our cruises for Chinese travellers. 

On board, we translate the menus 

and have Chinese guides. ITB is the 

number one show we are doing 

worldwide for the international 

market. It’s been recommended 

to us as the premium show. We 

have tried other shows here. But 

as the premium show, we could 

only really budget in an emerging 

market to do one, and this was 

billed to us to be the one to be at. 

Because not only does it establish 

your company to meet other 

tourism operators, the simple fact 

of being at ITB, because it is the 

premier show, is critical. We are a 

luxury operator. We are not cheap, 

but you get what you pay for. So, 

to be connected at that ITB level 

says “luxury upmarket”. There are 

a lot of other shows where we 

could go and spend a few hundred 

bucks, but it doesn’t give the same 

message that ITB does 

Craig James (right) 

APT China Manager 

David Axiotis 

ITB China General Manager 

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER 

SHOWS WHERE WE COULD GO AND 

SPEND A FEW HUNDRED BUCKS, 

BUT IT DOESN’T GIVE THE SAME 

MESSAGE THAT ITB DOES. 


8 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

TRAVEL IS THE KEY TO BETTER 

UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT AND 

HAPPINESS, WHICH WE FEEL IS THE 

FOUNDATION TO PROMOTING GLOBAL 

PEACE AND BRINGING PROSPERITY TO 

ALL STAKEHOLDERS 

James Jianzhang Liang 

Co-founder, 

Executive Chairman of the Board, 

Ctrip 

Service as a Pillar 

of the Value Proposition 

Exclusive Interview: James Jianzhang Liang, Co-founder, 

Executive Chairman of the Board, Ctrip 

As the travel industry comprises nearly 10% of global GDP, 

huge opportunities still lie ahead, with online penetration 

remaining relatively low in many pockets of the world. Ctrip is 

positioned for not only travel opportunities in China, but also 

global opportunities, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. 

By the same token, Ctrip’s CEO Jane Sun recently spoke 

about the fact that travel is a “gateway to global peace and 

prosperity”. We asked James Jianzhang Liang, Co-founder, 

Executive Chairman of the Board what his thoughts are on 

this. 

Travelling is a natural bridge 

to different cultures and races. 

Day in and day out our teams 

work tirelessly to ensure travel 

becomes easier and safer through 

technologies and services. This is 

a passion of ours. Travel is the key 

to better understanding, respect 

and happiness, which we feel is 

the foundation to promoting global 

peace and bringing prosperity to 

all stakeholders. 

Over the past months, you have 

announced a number of joint 

ventures and partnerships. 

Which of these do you feel are 

the most important in helping 

Chinese travellers have a better 

experience? 

We continue to seek new 

partnerships in order to ensure 

and address the needs of our 300 

million plus registered members. 

Along with all travel partners, we 

are constantly finding ways to 

boost the diversity of our travel 

products and assure better service, 

particularly for the growing Chinese 

outbound customer-base. I think 

there are a lot of areas we can 

improve upon to enable better 

experiences and services in the indestination 

category. We’ve been 

working with more and more local 

partners to enable local services 

like attractions, restaurants, trains 

and car services, just to name 

a few. These are all important 

links of the travel ecosystem 

which would greatly enhance the 

customer experience. 

The 2017 China Outbound 

Tourism Travel Report came 

up with some very interesting 

findings, for example with regard 

to Chinese travellers’ concern 

for safety. How has Ctrip been 

able to leverage this report and 

consequently better meet the 

demands of its customers? 

Service has always been a pillar 

of our value proposition to users. 

Chinese people travelling overseas 

require more service capabilities 

given language barriers and cultural 

differences. This is why over 50% 

of our employee-base are in the 

customer service unit, providing 

24/7 support for our customers. 

Calls are answered within 20 

seconds to ensure prompt reply 

and efficiency. We’ve innovated to 

make service even lower friction 

with our Virtual Tour Managers 

(VTM) function. Travellers visiting 

certain destinations can join 

messenger chat groups that are 

managed by group managers 

who have in-depth destination 

knowledge, to provide instant 

replies about almost anything our 

travellers need. We also have the 

Global SOS system which can 

provide timely information and 

travel arrangement options in 

emergency situations. With recent 

emergency situations such as the 

Las Vegas shooting, Bali volcano 

eruption and Hawaii earthquakes, 

Ctrip was really able to shine in 

helping our travellers through 

these unforeseen situations. Such 

information has allowed tour 

groups and independent traveller 

to avoid certain areas that might 

hinder the rest of their itinerary 

or, for those already affected, 

give more alternatives to safely 

evacuate. 

What are your thoughts about ITB 

China which is in its second year 

this year? 

We have a good relationship with 

ITB and are happy to support ITB 

China. It’s always great for the 

industry to gather and find ways 

to make travellers’ lives easier 

and safer. ITB China offers a great 

platform to focus on the Chinese 

travel market. Not only is it a great 

way to examine the market trends 

of the coming years, it also helps 

all partners to engage in shaping 

the future of Chinese tourism 



SPECIAL FEATURE 

LUXURY 

9 

From humble beginnings in Africa, Abercrombie & Kent has 

today become a global organisation. So how is it evolving 

in this part of the world? We put the question to Jonathan 

Cheung, CEO of Abercrombie & Kent China. 

As our founder Geoffrey Kent said, 

real luxury has three hallmarks: 

authenticity, flexibility and a sense 

of well-being. Authenticity means 

the experience is true to its place 

and its traditions, incorporating 

elements of the past and reflecting 

the local culture. Flexibility refers 

to service that anticipates your 

needs and satisfies them in an 

unobtrusive manner. Peace of 

mind is the sense of well-being 

that comes from traveling with a 

first-class organisation staffed by 

professionals for whom the word 

“impossible” does not exist. 

lodges and camps in one-ofa-kind 

locations. Through our 

network of on-site offices around 

the world, we are able to deliver 

by-invitation-only access to the 

people and places that make each 

of these destinations unique, 

curating experiences beyond 

the reach of ordinary travellers. 

Many of our guests own their 

own planes but understand the 

challenges of seamlessly planning 

and coordinating a multi-country 

itinerary. 

In Peru, AKP helps severely 

impoverished Peruvian children 

“to dream, to play, to hope”. We’re 

also looking at establishing more 

AKP projects in China. 

What are your thoughts on the 

initiative by Messe Berlin to 

launch ITB China – now in its 

second year? 

As an international B2B travel 

exhibition, ITB has proven its 

leading positions in the market and 

we are delighted to see it’s come 

to China, just like A&K. China has 

become one the largest and fastest 

growing source markets of many 

international industries, with ITB 

China, more chances are offered 

WE ARE 

WORKING 

WITH PARTNER 

COMMUNITIES 

ON EDUCATION, 

HEALTH CARE, 

CONSERVATION 

AND ENTERPRISE 

DEVELOPMENT 

PROJECTS. 

When travelling, people are 

always looking for authentic 

experiences, thus we offer our 

clients not only exquisite viands 

or fancy accommodation but also 

chances to discover something 

that others had rarely discovered 

before. We have our own local 

offices around the world. When 

you travel with A&K, your guide 

is always local, someone with 

an intimate knowledge of the 

destination. Our guides are experts 

whose education, field research 

and personal accomplishments 

make them ideal companions. 

Most importantly, they are cultural 

interpreters who explain local 

customs and offer thoughtful 

insights that will transform your 

understanding of the destination 

and can arrange insider access 

to places and people you would 

never find on your own. 

What kind of interest is for your 

private jet ‘round the world tours? 

Demand is strong with many 

itineraries selling out within 

weeks of being announced. 

In China alone, we have seen 

increasing interest in the private 

jet experiences from our affluent 

clients who enjoy their highflying 

luxury lifestyles. Travelling 

by private jet allows guests 

to experience far more than a 

conventional itinerary -- with 

greater comfort. During those 

private jet tours, these people 

are offered a chance of meeting 

like-minded people with a deep 

curiosity about the world and 

sharing exclusive insider access 

experiences. These include 

exclusive use of some of the 

world’s finest hotels, boutique 

When “Impossible” 

Does Not Exist 

Jonathan Cheung, CEO of Abercrombie & Kent China – 

on the roadmap for this legendary organisation in this region 

Geoffrey Kent is a champion of 

sustainability. How does this get 

translated into what you do? 

The travel industry is in the 

midst of a transformation 

toward greater equity and 

sustainability. At Abercrombie & 

Kent Philanthropy (AKP), we are 

dedicated to positively impacting 

lives and livelihoods in the 

communities where our guests 

travel. We are equally committed 

to ensuring guests learn about 

our philanthropic investments 

as an integral part of their travel 

experience, and to witness and 

engage. From Africa to Asia, 

Latin America to the Antarctic, 

we are working with partner 

communities on education, health 

care, conservation and enterprise 

development projects. We now 

have 41 projects in 19 countries 

where we strive to work with our 

community partners to address the 

education, health care, enterprise 

development/job creation and 

conservation challenges they face. 

I would like to share just a couple 

of examples. In Cambodia, AKP 

brings fresh, clean water to rural 

areas, helping thousands of 

villagers avoid deadly diseases. 

to travel market professionals to 

integrate resources and shape the 

future together 

Jonathan Cheung 

CEO, Abercrombie & Kent China 


10 SPECIAL FEATURE 

CRUISES 

IN THE LAP OF LUXURY 

ON A EUROPEAN RIVER 

CRUISE 

Feenstra cruises are 

presenting “river cruising 

with a difference” at ITB 

China. The difference 

comes through the fact 

that one can now travel 

in absolute luxury on 

European rivers, thanks to 

the fabulous ship, the Da 

Vinci. 

The company operates a 

fleet of 11 river cruise ships 

which vary from 3 to 5-star, 

each with its own character 

and style. They sail the 

Rhine, Moselle, Saar, 

Neckar, Main & Danube 

in addition to the Dutch & 

Belgian waterways. Group 

bookings and chartering 

entire vessels are also 

available on their ships. 

The Da Vinci is undoubtedly 

one of the most beautiful 

passenger ships in the 

Netherlands. This modern 

ship has the appearance 

of a large yacht with all 

kinds of contemporary 

conveniences. The Da Vinci 

has a lot of space for its 

110 passengers. All parts 

of the ship have a beautiful 

view through the large 

windows. There is also 

a sauna and a gym with 

modern fitness equipment. 

STAND No. 283 

Pullmantur Cruises 

Launches First Accessible 

Cruise in Europe 

Around 2,500 passengers 

with and without 

disabilities participated in 

the first accessible cruise 

organised by Pullmantur 

in Europe. For a week 

aboard the company’s 

Sovereign ship, guests 

enjoyed a route specially 

designed and adapted 

to their needs. All 

crewmembers received 

special training for the 

task, and in some cases, 

a crewmember was 

assigned to a specific 

passenger with special 

needs. 

The President & 

CEO of Pullmantur 

Cruceros, Richard J. Vogel, 

points out that from the 

first moment “We were 

aware of the challenges 

of this very specific cruise 

but all the Pullmantur 

Cruceros teams - on land 

and on board - were 

completely turned to the 

organisation of this cruise 

to make it a success.” 

Meanwhile, the company 

recently launched 

“Pullmantur Cruceros 

Exclusive Destinations”, 

where dreams that 

become journeys: a subbrand 

with routes that 

invite guests to experience 

intense holidays, enjoying 

the destinations to their 

full in an unforgettable 

way. Destinations 

include the Polar Circle, 

Secret Corners of the 

Mediterranean, and Dubai 

with “Legends of Arabia” 

STAND No. 910 



EUROPE 

REGION 

11 

THIS YEAR, WE AGAIN HAVE 

A STRONG PRESENCE WITH A 

DEDICATED EUROPE PAVILION 

HOSTING MORE THAN 30 EUROPEAN 

DESTINATIONS AND OPERATORS. 

Eduardo Santander 

Executive Director, European Travel Commission 

Boosting Europe’s Attractiveness 

The European Travel Commission implements a number of initiatives to 

further enchant Chinese travellers 

How is Chinese outbound 

tourism progressing in 

Europe, and what are the 

key trends? We put the 

question to the Executive 

Director of the European 

Travel Commission, Eduardo 

Santander. 

China is the world’s largest travel 

market in terms of both outbound 

travel and expenditure. With a 

14% share of the total Chinese 

outbound travel market, Europe 

saw a remarkable 16% increase 

in tourist arrivals from China 

in 2017, reaching record 13.4 

million arrivals. We are confident 

that Europe will remain a 

popular travel destination for the 

Chinese outbound market. The 

ETC forecasts an average 9.3% 

annual growth in tourist arrivals 

from China over the next three 

years. 

Please tell us more about the 

China Operations Group. 

The Operations Group is ETC’s 

representative body in China, 

bringing together the European 

tourist offices in the market. The 

purpose of the OG is to provide 

guidance on the marketing 

activities of the ETC in China. 

As this year witnesses a strong 

focus on the EU-China relations, 

the role of the OG is of great 

importance for the organisation. 

The group is currently chaired 

by Ms. Ludivine Destrée, China 

Market Manager at Wallonia 

Belgium Tourism. 

How important will the “EU-China 

Tourism Year” be in boosting 

tourism, and what part is the ETC 

playing? 

The 2018 EU-China Tourism Year is a 

great opportunity for the European 

tourism industry to explore the 

Chinese market, but also learn 

how to attract Chinese visitors and 

offer them the best experience. 

On this occasion, ETC has 

developed a series of cooperative 

marketing programmes to 

support the promotion of 

European destinations and travel 

experiences in China. 

These programmes include a 

variety of activities, from B2B 

matchmaking events to FAM 

trips for operators and media. 

Participants in these cooperative 

marketing programmes will 

gain access to joint activities 

at European level that are not 

feasible on a single basis or that 

they would be challenged to do on 

their own leveraged by economies 

of scale and their European scope. 

You organised a major fam-tour 

for Chinese tour operators in 

March. How did that go? 

We hosted a total of 70 Chinese 

operators in cooperation with our 

partners. They went to 15 different 

countries clustered in seven 

transnational itineraries, which 

included visits to landmark cities, 

cultural and natural attractions, 

meetings with local businesses 

as well as experiences in lesserknown 

destinations. We wanted 

to show them that there are 

many exciting destinations in 

Europe easily accessible from the 

traditional gateways for Chinese 

travellers. The FAM trips proved 

to be very successful with great 

feedback and satisfaction level 

from all participants. We intend to 

host another round of FAMs later 

in the year. 

How else are you working to 

facilitate Chinese outbound 

tourism into Europe? 

In addition to our cooperative 

marketing programmes, ETC, with 

the financial support of the EU, is 

co-investing in creative thematic 

transnational promotional 

campaigns developed and 

executed by partners of the EU- 

China Tourism Year. ETC is also 

co-organising the initiative 

“Partnerships in European 

Tourism”, an EU-funded project 

aimed at supporting EU tourism 

SMEs wishing to expand their 

businesses into the Chinese 

market. 

At the same time, visa facilitation 

is very high on the agenda and we 

expect that the EU-China Tourism 

Year will provide an incentive to 

make further progress on visa 

facilitation and connectivity 

between both markets. 

What activities has the ETC 

planned around ITB China this 

year? 

We were partner destination of 

ITB China last year and ETC and 

our partners were very satisfied 

with our participation. This year, 

we again have a strong presence 

with a dedicated Europe pavilion 

hosting more than 30 European 

destinations and operators. 

We also expect to build up new 

contacts and exchange ideas on 

the Chinese travel market with the 

broad travel industry during these 

intense days in Shanghai. In this 

regard, we had a dedicated session 

in ITB China Conference to discuss 

challenges and opportunities of 

the EU-China Tourism Year and 

beyond 


EUROPE 

REGION 

13 

Greece: 

365-Day Destination 

With over 10% international tourism 

growth in 2017, Greece counts on 

tourism 

Greece’s tourism policies have 

helped to extend the travel season, 

promote different thematic 

products, open new markets and 

boost connectivity by air, land and 

sea. 

The World Travel & Tourism 

Council estimates that tourism 

in 2017 helped boost the Greek 

economy by 6.9% – supporting 

nearly one million jobs and 

representing 20% of the country’s 

GDP. 

According to Greece’s Minister 

for Tourism, Elena Kountoura, 

tourism truly unites people: “It’s 

all about open borders, freedom 

and democracy, and the right of 

everyone to be able to travel. At 

the same time, the megatrend is 

for people, when traveling, to seek 

authentic experiences. In the past, 

there were a lot of all-inclusive 

packages, but in the last two 

years we have been developing, 

with our regional offices, a lot 

of thematic products so we can 

give a broad number of different 

opportunities and choices to our 

visitors.” 

For 2020, Greece aims to have 

more than 35-million tourists and 

more than 20% extra capacity, and 

for tourism to account for 22% of 

GDP (+2%) 

STAND No. 610 

Riga, Latvia’s “Hidden 

Pearl” Grows in Popularity 

Riga hotels and other tourist 

establishments hosted 1.4 million 

foreign tourists in 2017, a 11.5% 

rise over 2016 figures. 

In 2017, the largest number of 

the foreign tourists welcomed 

in Riga hotels and other tourist 

accommodations were from 

Russia (12%), Germany (11,5%), 

Estonia (8%), Lithuania (7%), 

Finland (7%), the Great Britain 

(6%), Sweden, Norway, Italy. 

and the United States. 

The Head of the Riga Tourism 

Development Bureau Vita 

Jermoloviča attributes the 

successful growth to several 

factors. Among them is listed 

the successful advertising and 

Elena Kountoura 

Greece’s Minister for Tourism 

Dr Christian Göke 

CEO, Messe Berlin 

cooperation with journalists and 

bloggers as well as the opening 

of several new flight destinations 

not only in the traditional markets 

as, for example, Finland, Norway, 

Italy, Russia and Spain, but also 

in new ones – the United Arab 

Emirates and Israel 

STAND No. 200/201 

Tourists Outnumber 

Residents for First 

Time in Portugal 

In 2017, 20.6 million guests 

registered in Portugal (up 8.9%) 

and for the first time, the number 

of foreigners exceeded the 

Portuguese population. Portugal 

received 12.7 million foreign 

guests. The sector generated 335 

thousand jobs (accounting for 

7% of the national economy), an 

increase of 44 thousand jobs over 

2016. 

This year, Portugal was voted 

the most welcoming country in 

the world, according to an Inter 

Nations study published in the 

American magazine Forbes, 

rising nine places in relation to 

2016. 

Tourism Strategy 2027 seeks to 

position Portugal as one of the 

most competitive, innovative and 

sustainable tourism markets in 

the world, a leader in producing 

goods and services for tourism 

on a worldwide scale, a country 

that values work and that invests 

in human capital 

STAND No. 400 

15.7% HIKE IN INTERNATIONAL 

TOURISM FOR MALTA IN 2017 

The Malta Tourism Authority has 

been celebrating results achieved 

in 2017, in which inbound tourist 

trips from January to December 

2017 reached almost 2.3 million 

(+15.7%) while total nights spent 

surpassed 16.5 million nights 

(+10.3%). 

Reacting to these positive results, 

the MTA’s Chief Executive Officer, 

Paul Bugeja, noted that it is “clear 

by now that hurdles such as 

seasonality are being addressed”. 

He added, “Thanks to joint 

efforts between the Ministry for 

Tourism and the Malta Tourism 

Authority, Malta is successfully 

being promoted and visited all 

year round, which is positive 

for the industry, the economy, 

and ultimately the taxpayer. He 

added that all stakeholders must 

collaborate in order to ensure the 

sustainability of such success.” 

Malta’s success in sustaining 

such a positive performance 

in collective accommodation 

undoubtedly compliments 

the strong expansion in its air 

connectivity. Eight new airline 

routes from seven different 

countries began operating 

last year, adding to the already 

extensive network linking Malta 

with its source markets and 

bringing more tourists to the 

accommodation facilities in 

Malta and Gozo 

STAND No. 701 

© Finavia 


14 REGION 

EUROPE 

Chinese Visitors Wooed 

to Austria by Shopping 

and… Memories of Sissi 

Austria is one of the most 

popular destinations in 

Europe for Chinese visitors, 

due to a number of factors. 

First and foremost, is perhaps 

shopping. According to 

a report in Der Standard, 

Chinese tourists visiting 

Austria in 2017 spent the 

most on shopping compared 

to other foreign guests. It is 

reported that Chinese visitors 

spent an average of 555 euros 

($685), a 32-euro increase 

over 2016, compared to a 

general average of 486 euros. 

Vienna has becoming very 

popular among Chinese 

tourists, thanks in part to the 

romantic 1950’s “Sissi” films 

of the past starring Romy 

Schneider. The films found 

an enthusiastic audience 

across China when they 

were broadcast on Chinese 

television in the 1980s. “Sissi 

sightseeing” is thus one of 

the favourites for Chinese 

travellers, who flock to 

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna’s 

most popular historic 

attraction and Sissi’s former 

residence. 

INNSBRUCK’S YEAR 

OF CULTURE 

Innsbruck’s Year of Culture 

2018 started at the end of 

January. With the name 

ART Innsbruck, the 22nd 

International Art Fair was 

held at the end of January 

(the 23rd edition will be 

held from 17 to 20 January 

2019). Ninety galleries 

and art dealers from 

ten countries exhibited 

international contemporary 

art of the 19 th , 20 th and 21 st 

centuries. Paintings, works 

on paper, editions, original 

prints, sculptures, objects/ 

installations, artist books, 

photographs, new media 

and other delightful items - 

collectors and art lovers love 

the renowned ART Innsbruck 

fair, but it also appeals to all 

those keen to develop their 

interest in collecting 

STAND No. 600 

SLOVENIA 

REVEALS HIDDEN 

TREASURES 

AT ITB CHINA 

Slovenia has in the past been one of Europe’s 

best kept secrets. But that’s changing as 

tourism professionals warm to this country’s 

natural and cultural charms. 

One such often overlooked spot is the Julian 

Alps, announced as one of the world’s top 

three must visit regions in Lonely Planet’s Best 

in Travel 2018. 

These Alps offer beautiful alpine landscapes 

with over two-thirds of the region protected by 

the Triglav National Park. The region is home 

to diverse terrain including Slovenia’s highest 

peak Mount Triglav along with wild gorges, 

rivers and valleys. The Triglav National Park, 

one of the oldest national parks in Europe, is 

renowned for its unique natural heritage with 

hikes taking visitors past sights including the 

Peričnik waterfall 

STAND No. 200/201 

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展台号 200/201 



HALL PLAN 

展馆平面图 

Stand No. 530 

Stand No. 283 Stand No. 801

ITB China News 2018 - Day 2 Edition

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