Global travel partnership summit to boost inbound tourism

At its Global Partner Summit, the co-founder and chairman of travel agency Trip.com Group Liang Jianzhang announced the results of a survey which reveals that safety, cleanliness, a long history, friendly people, and delicious food are among the most frequently mentioned aspects of China by foreign tourists.

At the summit hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Dec 18, senior officials from the agency extended invitations to global partners and tourists to China.

"The potential for the development of inbound tourism is enormous, and the various pain points are being gradually addressed," Liang says.

"Trip.com Group will leverage global resources and the advantages of integrated marketing to lead the promotion of inbound tourism, contributing to the development of the tourism economy and enhancing China's image," he adds.

The agency has reported 119 percent growth in inbound tourist bookings for the first 11 months year-on-year, and overseas searches for popular China routes surged more than 500 percent in the same period.

These rapidly growing numbers have brought tangible business to domestic partners, including scenic spots, hotels, and other travel agencies, according to the company.

"We believe that the inbound tourism market will enter a stage of high-quality development, better empowering openness to the world and telling the story of China in the new era," says Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group.

The company says it will seek growth from the development of inbound tourism, stimulate innovation through technological transformation, providing partners with consistent growth, and continuously improve experiences for users.

At the summit, Trip.com Group also reached a strategic cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. It will increase promotion of Abu Dhabi's tourist attractions, resort experiences, and other high-quality travel experiences to tourists.

The UAE is the first country in the Middle East to have a visa-free policy with China. Since the beginning of this year, the number of Chinese tourists booking outbound travel to Abu Dhabi has increased by more than 75 percent year-on-year, while the number of Emirati tourists visiting China has surged nearly fourfold, according to the agency.