Building the Bridge between East and West - ITB China 2017 Kicks Off with Exclusive Preview

BERLIN and SHANGHAI, March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --"Building the bridge between East and West", an exclusive ITB China preview event with more than 60 journalists from China and 15 other countries just kicked off today at the Jin Jiang Tower in Shanghai. Three months before the official opening of ITB China, the new marketplace for the Chinese travel industry, experienced industry professionals shared and discussed their point of view and insights on the Chinese travel industry. Among the distinguished speakers were:

Dr. Martin Buck, Senior VP Travel & Logistics / Messe Berlin
Mr. David Axiotis, General Manager / ITB China
Mr. Eduardo Santander, Executive Director/European Travel Commission,
Mr John Li, Vice President /Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co.,Ltd,
Mr. Mason Ma, General Manager All Region-based Tourism Strategic Marketing & Advertising Department / Ctrip,
Mr. Frank Wu, General Manager of Overseas Sourcing Center / Tuniu,
Mr Tom Jenkins, CEO / ETOA - European Tour Operators Association,
Mr Charlie Li, CEO / TravelDaily China

Dr Martin Buck, Senior VP Travel & Logistics at Messe Berlin said:" We are extremely delighted by the positive feedback on our new show from all over the world. ITB China already is, even before its world premiere, a great success."

Display halls booked up

Three months to go before ITB China opens its doors at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre and the area of exhibition space is already completely sold out. From 10 to 12 May 2017 around 600 companies, destinations, organisations and travel service provider will be represented in China's new three-day business to business travel trade show.

Exhibitor search online and trade visitor registration open

As ITB China's premiere is getting closer and closer, trade visitors can now start registering for ITB China 2017 online at Trade Visitor Registration  in order to meet with exhibitors from all over the world covering leisure, mice and corporate travel. Giving a preview on the global range of exhibitors the list of ITB China 2017 exhibitors is now available online under: Exhibitor Search.

ITB China Conference kicks off with powerful keynote sessions

Attendees of ITB China 2017 can look forward to an exciting conference programme. The ITB China Conference is the platform where newest trends and innovation of Chinese and the global travel industry are presented. One of the highlights of Mr. Rungang Zhang, Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of CTA- China Tourism Association, China's biggest travel industry association. The impressive keynote line-up on the opening day of the Conference will be furthermore enriched by a keynote held by Mr. Friedrich Joussen, the CEO of TUI Group. An exclusive CEO interview of Ms. Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip, will be held by the Founder of Phocuswright Inc., Mr. Philip Wolf providing in-depth insights on China's biggest online travel agency.

New segment introduced: eTravel World China

ITB China introduces an exhibition area exlcusively dedicated to online travel and travel technology solutions: The eTravel World China. Globally renowned companies such as Amadeus, Expedia and Booking.com and many more are among the confirmed participants presenting their wide product range to ITB China's attendees. "China is one of the most important markets for Booking.com and we are absolutely delighted to be part of the first ever ITB China. We are looking forward to continuing to build new relationships with accomodation providers and offer value added such as Booking Suite, Travel Agents Tool to help our partners grow at a very competitive marketplace", said Anthony Lu, General Manager Partner Services China from Booking.com.

The exhibtion segment is flanked by a dedicated Online Travel and Travel Technology Day (May 11) at ITB China Conference providing attendees with exclusive developments on this area. In addition, companies have the chance to present their newest travel solutions to the audience at destination showcase slots to be held at a separate on-floor presentation area.

ITB China with a strong inaugural partner line-up

Europe is ITB China's partner destination and sets the focus on showcasing the variety of the continent's touristic products. A dedicated Europe Pavilion will feature a multitude of national presences paired with strong individual attendances of major European destinations.

China Eastern Airlines, being one of China's top three airlines, is ITB China's official partner Airline and will be granting exclusive air fares to ITB China's attendees. The strong partner line-up is rounded up with the Jin Jiang International Hotels, one of the world's biggest hotel chains, being ITB China's official partner hotel will have its brands presented on the ITB China show floor.

600 hosted buyers coming from all over China plus 100 international trade buyers to be present at ITB China 2017

ITB China expects round about 600 hosted buyers. They are coming from all over the country to visit ITB China in Shanghai in May and represent more than 180 different Chinese companies eager to discover the product range of the show's exhibitors. The list of confirmed buyers companies contains some of China's biggest travel industry players, such as Ctrip, Caissa, Utour, Alitrip and many more. In addition, ITB China expects some 100 international trade buyers adding the event's buyers numbers up to around 700.

About ITB Berlin and ITB Asia

First launched 50 years ago, ITB Berlin is recognised as the most successful trade show for the global travel industry. Some 10,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries regularly attend this event. Every year in October for the last eight years Messe Berlin has successfully organised ITB Asia in Singapore. Boasting 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, ITB Asia in Singapore has established itself as one of the leading travel trade shows in Asia. As the second show in Asia, ITB China will take place in Shanghai, one of the leading industrial cities in the People's Republic of China, and with a population of around 23 million one of world's largest cities. In contrast to ITB Asia, which reflects tourism in Asia as a whole, ITB China focuses entirely on the Chinese travel market.

About ITB China and the ITB China Conference

ITB China 2017 will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 10 to 12 May, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. ITB China is a three-day business to business travel trade fair that focuses exclusively on the Chinese travel industry. The ITB China Conference will take place parallel with the show and is co-organised by the leading conference organiser TravelDaily (www.traveldaily.cn).

More details are available at www.itb-china.com 
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