WTCF Attends ITB Berlin and Holds Panel Discussion Titled 'New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market'

The ITB Berlin, one of the largest tourism trade fairs in the world, was held at Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Germany from March 5 to 7, 2024. It is known that the ITB Berlin initiated in 1966 has attracted over 5,500 exhibitors from more than 170 countries and regions this year.

The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) has participated as a co-organizer of the exhibition for eight consecutive sessions, and during the exhibition, it held a panel discussion titled "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market".

Esecan, a special advisor to the Secretary-General of WTCF, delivers a speech.

Esecan, a special advisor to the Secretary-General of WTCF attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. She stated that in 2024, amidst globalization and rapid technological development, the tourism industry must continuously innovate to adapt to the ever-changing market demands and consumer behaviors. The ITB Berlin, as the world's largest leading tourism trade show, provides a platform for all the tourism industry professionals from around the globe to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.

Wang Shoutao, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Germany, delivers a speech.

During the discussion, Wang Shoutao, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Germany, underscored the significance of tourism as a pivotal engine for global economic recovery and rapid development. He highlighted that China, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion and a middle-income group surpassing 400 million, serves as a substantial driving force for the sustainable development of the global tourism industry.

Cui Hua, Associate Consultant of Beiling Municipal Tourism and Culture Bureau on Beijing Inbound Tourism, shared insights into the development of Beijing's inbound tourism industry. He pointed out that in 2024, Beijing will focus on enhancing the convenience of inbound tourism services, providing a more diverse range of inbound tourism products, strengthening overseas promotion, and improving internationalized tourism services to promote the prosperity of the inbound tourism industry.

Cui Hua, Associate Consultant, Beiling Municipal Tourism and Culture Bureau on Beijing Inbound Tourism, delivers a keynote speech.

Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of the Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness of UN Tourism, shared the research findings completed through collaboration between WTCF and UN Tourism – Quantifying Tourism in City Destinations: Towards a Better Understanding of Urban Tourism. The research report explores new data sources and indicators, aiming to establish and maintain potential models for a global urban tourism database, and to promote the intelligent development of research on world tourism cities, by examining the current status of urban tourism data, examples of big data application in urban planning, and challenges faced by urban destinations.

Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of the Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness of UN Tourism, shares the research findings made by UN Tourism and WTCF.

At the panel discussion, participants engaged in discussions centered on "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market". Alan Song, Deputy General Manager of the International Department of CYTS International Travel, pointed out that in 2023, the inbound tourism market in China gradually recovered, with continuous efforts made to facilitate inbound tourism in four aspects: visas, transportation, mobile payments, and overseas promotion. Ralf Ostendorf, Director of Market Management of Visit Berlin, mentioned that in today's ever-evolving market landscape, overseas tourism destinations aiming to attract more Chinese tourists must improve their products to meet market demands effectively. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS, CEO of COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and CEO of Meaningful Tourism Center, believes that the Chinese tourism market has changed, with Chinese tourists placing greater discretion in their consumption habits and placing more emphasis on consumption values, and that It is only through ongoing exploration of Chinese tourists' needs that products more tailored to their preferences can be developed. Philip Dickinson, Director of International Markets of Qatar Tourism, pointed out that Qatar is committed to attracting 60 million international tourists by 2030. Recognizing the vast development potential of the Chinese tourism market, Qatar is heavily investing in the Chinese market and continuously enriching the variety of its tourism products, to welcome Chinese tourists to experience.

Guests of a discussion centered on "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market"

Initiated by Beijing, WTCF is the first city-centered international tourism organization. It upholds the principle of "Better City Life through Tourism" and contributes to the sustainable development of the global tourism industry and its members by providing various platforms for industry exchanges and cooperation. Since its establishment in 2012, WTCF has grown to an organization including 245 members spanning across 86 countries and regions worldwide.