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ITB China News 2019 - Day 2 Edition

  • Text
  • China
  • Shanghai
  • Asia
  • Tourism
  • China

16 REGION EUROPE Europe

16 REGION EUROPE Europe sees strong growth in Chinese visitors Underpinned by a renewed partnership with European Travel Commission, Europe is the largest exhibitor at ITB China this year. The rising demand for exhibition space by European destinations reflects the trend of Europe remaining the number one long-haul destination for Chinese tourists. Being the largest regional pavilion exhibitor, the European Travel Commission (ETC) has a stronger exhibition presence at the show. 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 and Portugal. The growth potential of countries and regions from Southern and Eastern Europe is also well reflected, with among many others, the Catalan Tourist Board, Malta Tourism Authority, Hungarian Tourism Agency Ltd and Tourism Association of Canton Sarajevo presenting their services Germany targets 5-million Chinese overnight stays by 2030 DZT, the German National Tourist Board, is joining the Germany pavilion this year for ITB China. We asked its Chief Executive Officer Petra Hedorfer how the Chinese outbound market is progressing for Germany. China has become one of the largest overseas markets for the travel destination Germany. The number of overnight stays from Chinese tourists to Germany reached its first million in 2010. The number increased to over three million in 2018, and our expectation is to have five million overnight stays of Chinese tourists to Germany by 2030. How do you work to facilitate the work Chinese outbound operators coming into Germany? Over the past two decades, we have established and maintained close relationships with important Chinese outbound operators. Every year, we hold the Germany Travel Mart (GTM) in Germany and invite our key Chinese outbound operators. During this event, they meet with German suppliers and seize business opportunities. Furthermore, our Chinese key contacts have the chance to gain knowledge about Germany in Pre-Convention Tours. In addition to GTM, we also organise China Roadshows annually, with which we invite our German suppliers to our important source markets. Not only the first-tier cities, but also some emerging secondary cities are parts of the China Roadshow. Thus, Chinese outbound operators can meet with possible German suppliers close to their business locations. For years, we have been conducting online and offline training programmes. Our Wechat Account offers an exclusive B2B Platform for information exchange and networking STAND A148 Petra Hedorfer Chief Executive Officer, DZT Tapping into Europe… the right way The European Travel Commission is back at ITB China this year, represented by Miguel Gallego – Head of Marketing and Communication, who notably participated yesterday in a roundtable on connecting Chinese travellers via the use of digital tools. We asked him how the way destination marketing organisations communicate with Chinese travellers is changing. Chinese travellers have become more mature, moving away from traditional tour packages and groups toward authentic and diverse travel experiences, ultimately influencing the way we communicate with them. They are travelling independently, ditching the major tourism destinations and attractions for less exploited places and travel products, more frequently taking advantage of mobile and digital technology. This has given rise to the emergence and growth of channels that help consumers tailor their experiences to their personal taste. In particular, FITs search for and rely on trustworthy content online that provides destination information, reviews and recommendations on attractions, accommodation, local tours and anything related to travelling abroad. Optimized online visibility has thus become very important, as well as the maximization of the use of social media channels for communication and promotion activities, as they stimulate interaction and engagement with consumers and generate positive buzz and interest. Destination marketing organisations need to be visible in the Chinese online universe in order to make it onto the shopping lists. In this respect, influencers are a powerful online marketing tool in China, and are rising in popularity, especially in the tourism industry STAND A023 Miguel Gallego Head of Marketing and Communication, European Travel Commission ITB CHINA NEWS • Thursday 16 th May 2019 www.itb-china-news.com

EUROPE REGION 17 ADVERTORIAL MALTA: THE ULTIMATE “EXPERIENTIAL” DESTINATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN This is the age of the experiential traveller, and Malta offers a magnificent opportunity of discovery. We asked Carlo Micallef, Deputy CEO & CMO of Malta Tourism Authority, what Malta is primarily promoting at ITB China. At ITB China, Malta is promoting the unique travel experience combination of impressive heritage, diverse tourism product and the great hospitality for which the Maltese people are famous. In the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta combines the beauty of nature with blue skies, clean seas and a mild climate with a long and very interesting history dating back to more than 7,000 years. Malta’s UNESCO world heritage Neolithic temples are older than the pyramids of Egypt, and its strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean made it very attractive to the dominant Empires of the different eras. How important are Chinese visitors to Malta currently and what are your targets? Chinese visitors to Malta are important for the objectives of growth in numbers outside the summer peak months as well as for diversification of tourism nationalities visiting Malta. The 5 year target is for 50,000 Chinese visitors to Malta per year. In order to be able to achieve this, we aim to establish better flight connectivity and expand Malta’s marketing activities in China. How are you working with Chinese travel professionals to raise awareness about your destination? In spite of considerable marketing and PR efforts in the last 2 years, Malta is still new in the Chinese market. Malta is attracting a lot of interest but there is strong competition from big countries that are better known and have been active in China for many years. In the Chinese market Malta is open to different ways of cooperation. We have a strong cooperation with all forms of media, including social influencers and TV. Malta is also open to cooperation with tour operators, travel agents as well as group organisers. Throughout the year Malta organizes familiarization visits to Malta for both media as well as trade because one can only truly understand how much Malta offers when it is experienced personally. Chinese tourists, whether visiting Malta for leisure, education or meetings, are sure to receive a warm welcome and enjoy an incredible experience STAND A118 Carlo Micallef Deputy CEO & CMO, Malta Tourism Authority ITB CHINA NEWS • Thursday 16 th May 2019