WTA Participates in 2024 ITB China

Shanghai, May 27, 2024 – The 2024 ITB China kicked off today at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, marking a significant event in the global tourism calendar.

Mr. LIU Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), was invited to attend the opening ceremony. Alongside distinguished guests such as Mr. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, Mr. Ibrahim Faisal, Minister of Tourism, Republic of the Maldives, and Ms. CHEN Baiyu, President of the China Association of Travel Services, Mr. LIU participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opened the event.

During the exhibition, the World Tourism Alliance engaged in fruitful exchanges with tourism agencies from Maldives, Malaysia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, and Peru. The WTA representatives also visited member booths, including those of the European Travel Commission (ETC), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Saudi Tourism Authority, and Trip.com Group, fostering communication and exploring collaborative opportunities.

At the evening gala on May 27, Mr. LIU Shijun, Mr. Mario Tobias, and Mr. Zihuny Rasheed, Deputy Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), delivered speeches. Mr. LIU emphasized that the tourism industry is now in a high-growth phase, with supply and demand rising in tandem. He highlighted the significant instructions from President XI Jinping during the National Tourism Development Conference on May 17 in Beijing. He also noted the collaborative spirit of the 14th China – U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi’an from May 21-23, where both President XI Jinping and President Biden sent messages encouraging global tourism cooperation. Mr. LIU stressed that the 2024 ITB China was perfectly timed, as the Chinese tourism market is opening up and becoming more inclusive, urging the industry to engage in open and comprehensive communication to better understand each other and build partnerships to face new transformations and challenges.

Themed “Thrive in Transformation, Reach New Heights. Together”, this year’s ITB China brought together over 600 tourism organizations and enterprises from more than 80 countries and regions, with a 60% increase in scale compared to 2023, reaching the scale of the 2019 event. The Maldives, as the Partner Destination , showcased diverse products and activities, underscoring the significance of adaptability and innovation in the tourism industry’s growth.

On May 29, WTA members, including Norbert Fiebig, President of the German Travel Association (DRV), and Rolf-Dieter Scheerer, Director of Strategic Development at Gebeco GmbH & Co. KG, visited the WTA headquarters in Hangzhou. The meeting involved discussions about the current state of the tourism markets in China and Germany and explored potential future collaborations.

Gebeco GmbH & Co. KG, the German Travel Association (DRV), and Messe Berlin GmbH officially joined the World Tourism Alliance in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.