Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in China, is offering a 144-hours Transit Visa Free to the holders of 53 foreign countries from 1 January 2019, as part of the city’s plan to boost its development as an international destination for tourists.

This was announced by Ms Duoyang Namu, Director General of Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, at the official opening of the 6^th Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE) 2018 being staged at the Century City New International Exhibition Center from 29 Nov to 1 Dec.

The CITE 2018 – the leading travel show in Chengdu for professionals in the tourism industry – saw a record number of 500 Chinese and foreign exhibitors from over 30 countries, including global National Tourism Organisations, leading tour agencies and attractions, and more than 300 hosted buyers from Sichuan and other provinces. Some 3,000 industry members visited the event.

Apart from Ms Duoyang Namu, Mr He Yu Dong, Deputy Director General of Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Expositions and Mr Chai Yan Zhu, Executive Vice-President and Secretary General of Sichuan Tourism Association also graced the official opening. Mr Steven Pang, Consul General of the Republic of Singapore, also attended the event together with several of his colleagues from other consulates based in Chengdu. More than 30 media partners were in attendance.

The highlight of CITE 2018 was the participation of the European Tourism Association (ETOA) and the European Spas Association (ESPA) as part of the just concluded EU-China Tourism Year, aimed at increasing the number of Chinese tourists visiting Europe.

At the exhibition, members of the ETOA presented on “The Lure of Romantic Europe for Chinese Visitors”, which was well-received by trade visitors. To further cement the importance of attracting Chinese tourists to Europe’s tourism sector, both ETOA and ESPA had brought along their huge contingent of 100 European tourism suppliers, with the aim of forming strategic partnerships with China’s travel agencies to offer enchanting romantic experiences for the Chinese travellers.

Prior to the opening of CITE 2018 on 29 Nov; members of the European contingent also conducted a seminar on their touristic products and conducted business-to-business meetings with some 100 Chinese travel agencies at the Hilton Hotel. Many of the European tour operators were in Chengdu for the first time.

Another major debutant was the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism (Vietnam) which promoted itself under the theme “Ho Chi Minh City – A Whole Vietnam”. With a colourful and vibrant pavilion, the Vietnamese tourism authorities conducted a full-house press conference, opening up a whole new world of opportunities for their travel agents to explore business collaboration and gain more valuable tourism insights into China’s Outbound Tourism Market through subsequent networking sessions with local Chinese buyers.

In addition to the choke-full of exciting activities and destination presentations, two days of B2B networking sessions and luncheon were conducted by effectively matching some 300 hosted buyers with enthusiastic exhibitors within the exhibition hall. Most of the meetings were matched through the Pre-Scheduled Appointments system (PSA), while some were managed on the spot.

“Our enthusiastic exhibitors were excited to be able to offer our hosted buyers and trade visitors, a huge diverse tourism-related products and services portfolio, enchanting and exotic destinations. Together with my dedicated and dynamic team, we aim to continue driving critical communications and foster greater collaboration between our valued exhibitors and hosted buyers to meet the unique needs of the ever-growing Chinese travellers,” commented Edward Liu, Group Managing Director of CEMS.

Meanwhile, to help promote Chengdu as a top destination internationally, the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration hosted a special dinner event at Fairmont Hotel on 29 November for more than 150 international exhibitors and tour operators from CITE 2018. The Guest-of-Honour was Mr Wang Pingjiang, a Vice-Mayor of Chengdu.

In recognition of the splendid tourism promotional work carried out by Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) for the past six years, actively promoting Chengdu as a top tourist destination in Western China, Edward Liu, Group Managing Director of CEMS, was presented with a Certificate of Honor, by Vice Mayor Wang Pingjiang on behalf of the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration.

Considering such a successful staging of CITE 2018, coupled with an overwhelming response and positive feedback from the majority of its exhibitors and hosted buyers, CEMS is confident that more international exhibitors would inevitably participate in next year’s CITE, which would be held at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center, from 28 till 30 November 2019.

About CEMS

Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (CEMS), a professional organiser for more than 40 years, ensures that its event will elevate the quality of business opportunities for all participants and visitors in the tourism industry.

As the preferred China outbound travel platform, CEMS Tourism Series is set to take you to 2 of the top outbound generating markets within China for 2018 – Beijing and Chengdu. For more information, please visit www.cems.com.sg.

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Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province in China, is offering a 144-hours Transit Visa Free to the holders of 53 foreign countries from 1 January 2019, as part of the city’s plan to boost its development as an international destination for tourists. This was announced by Ms Duoyang Namu, Director General of Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration, at the official opening of the 6^th Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE) 2018 being staged at the Century City New International Exhibition Center from 29 Nov to 1 Dec.

The CITE 2018 – the leading travel show in Chengdu for professionals in the tourism industry – saw a record number of 500 Chinese and foreign exhibitors from over 30 countries, including global National Tourism Organisations, leading tour agencies and attractions, and more than 300 hosted buyers from Sichuan and other provinces. Some 3,000 industry members visited the event.

Apart from Ms Duoyang Namu, Mr He Yu Dong, Deputy Director General of Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Expositions and Mr Chai Yan Zhu, Executive Vice-President and Secretary General of Sichuan Tourism Association also graced the official opening. Mr Steven Pang, Consul General of the Republic of Singapore, also attended the event together with several of his colleagues from other consulates based in Chengdu. More than 30 media partners were in attendance.

The highlight of CITE 2018 was the participation of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and the European Spas Association (ESPA) as part of the just concluded EU-China Tourism Year, aimed at increasing the number of Chinese tourists visiting Europe.

At the exhibition, members of the ETOA presented on “The Lure of Romantic Europe for Chinese Visitors”, which was well-received by trade visitors. To further cement the importance of attracting Chinese tourists to Europe’s tourism sector, both ETOA and ESPA had brought along their huge contingent of 100 European tourism suppliers, with the aim of forming strategic partnerships with China’s travel agencies to offer enchanting romantic experiences for the Chinese travellers.

Prior to the opening of CITE 2018 on 29 Nov; members of the European contingent also conducted a seminar on their touristic products and conducted business-to-business meetings with some 100 Chinese travel agencies at the Hilton Hotel. Many of the European tour operators were in Chengdu for the first time.

Another major debutant was the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism (Vietnam) which promoted itself under the theme “Ho Chi Minh City – A Whole Vietnam”. With a colourful and vibrant pavilion, the Vietnamese tourism authorities conducted a full-house press conference, opening up a whole new world of opportunities for their travel agents to explore business collaboration and gain more valuable tourism insights into China’s Outbound Tourism Market through subsequent networking sessions with local Chinese buyers.

In addition to the choke-full of exciting activities and destination presentations, two days of B2B networking sessions and luncheon were conducted by effectively matching some 300 hosted buyers with enthusiastic exhibitors within the exhibition hall. Most of the meetings were matched through the Pre-Scheduled Appointments system (PSA), while some were managed on the spot. “Our enthusiastic exhibitors were excited to be able to offer our hosted buyers and trade visitors, a huge diverse tourism-related products and services portfolio, enchanting and exotic destinations. Together with my dedicated and dynamic team, we aim to continue driving critical communications and foster greater collaboration between our valued exhibitors and hosted buyers to meet the unique needs of the ever-growing Chinese travellers,” commented Edward Liu, Group Managing Director of CEMS.

Meanwhile, to help promote Chengdu as a top destination internationally, the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration hosted a special dinner event at Fairmont Hotel on 29 November for more than 150 international exhibitors and tour operators from CITE 2018. The Guest-of-Honour was Mr Wang Pingjiang, a Vice-Mayor of Chengdu.

In recognition of the splendid tourism promotional work carried out by Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) for the past six years, actively promoting Chengdu as a top tourist destination in Western China, Edward Liu, Group Managing Director of CEMS, was presented with a Certificate of Honor, by Vice Mayor Wang Pingjiang on behalf of the Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration.

Considering such a successful staging of CITE 2018, coupled with an overwhelming response and positive feedback from the majority of its exhibitors and hosted buyers, CEMS is confident that more international exhibitors would inevitably participate in next year’s CITE, which would be held at Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center, from 28 till 30 November 2019.

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Chengdu International Tourism Expo 2018 (CITE 2018)- the leading travel show in Chengdu for professionals in the tourism industry, strides into its 6^thyear by welcoming its inaugural partner, the European Tourism Association (ETOA) as one of the main exhibitors.  Participating in CITE 2018 is part of ETOA’s initiatives during EU-China Tourism Year to increase the number of Chinese tourists visiting Europe.

One of the highlights of the exhibition will be the launch of “The Lure of Romantic Europe for Chinese Visitors” by ETOA to woo China’s booming outbound tourism marketing. In less than two decades, China has taken the lead to become the world’s most powerful outbound market with a staggering 122 million per annum! To further cement the importance of attracting Chinese tourists to Europe’s tourism sector, ETOA has brought along its huge contingent of global tourism suppliers to form strategic partnerships with China’s travel agencies to offer enchanting romantic experiences for the Chinese travellers.

Enthusiastic trade visitors can look forward to a choke-full of engaging activities spread over 3 days. Held over 29 November till 1 December at the Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center in Chengdu, boasting a gross area of 8,000 square metres, CITE 2018 will feature some 500 local and international exhibitors from over 30 countries.

In addition, the event is expected to draw some 400 local buyers and is projected to attract 3,000 trade and public visitors from the MICE, OTAs, travel agents, corporates and trade associations. CITE 2018 will also host a business networking luncheon for both the exhibitors and the buyers. This new initiative of the show will include luncheons on the first two days of the event. The first two days of CITE 2018 would be for trade only (pre-scheduled B2B meetings), whilst the third day would be open to the public which allows exhibitors to reach out directly to the consumers to promote their destinations and products. One of the main benefits for all exhibitors would be the opportunity to meet with at least 20 – 30 qualified Chinese travel operators on a face-to-face basis as well as meeting with some 200 hosted buyers over two networking luncheons.

The European Spas Association (ESPA) will also be launching a seminar, “Why should Chinese travellers go to European Spas?” on Day 2, 30 November, to focus on restoring peace to the psyche by opting for romantic and health-curing travel destinations in Europe.

Key topics for the seminar are as follows:

• “Why European SPAs?

An overview of a unique, romantic and health-curing travel destination” presented by Csilla Mezosi, Secretary General of ESPA

• SPA Heritage in Europe
• How to pitch European SPAs to Chinese consumers

CITE 2018 is jointly organised by Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (Singapore) and CEMS (Beijing) Conference & Exhibition Co., Ltd (China) and supported by Chengdu Municipal of Exposition, Chengdu Municipal Tourism Administration and Tourism Development Commission of Sichuan Province, China.

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Inaugurated in 2012, the Chengdu International Tourism Expo (CITE) is the leading tourism exhibition in Chengdu for professionals in the industry to promote their latest travel packages, destinations, products and services.
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Organised by Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), the 5th edition of CITE this year was held from November 30 to December 2. The three-day event saw over 400 exhibitors from over 40 countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Turkey and United States of America, and 400 local and international hosted buyers, along with trade visitors and public visitors, providing a good mix of business and networking opportunities.

One of the anchor highlights from the event were the specially curated workshops that were running concurrently with the exhibition for trade visitors to gain new practical knowledge on the industry practices. TravHQ partnered with CITE on one such workshop on digital marketing where we spoke about how brands can leverage new media tools to go global instantly.

Apart from this, there was a pre-event promotional roadshow in various cities in the northern, central and western regions of China. Through these, exhibitors were provided with more opportunities to present and promote themselves to their target buyers prior to the event.

TravHQ also spoke to Jan Wawrzyniak, Director of the Polish Tourist Organization, who shared his insights on the phenomenal rise of Chinese tourists to Poland. This edition of CITE has evolved from traditional exhibitions and made enhancements to create a more strategic business platform catering to the tourism market in China. Watch some snippets and highlights from the global event, here-

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59.03 million – this is the number of Chinese who travelled overseas during the first half of 2016. While the exhibitors, visitors and hosted buyers are gearing up for the Chengdu International Tourism Expo 2016, the host city finds itself in a more than commendable position as one of top source of outbound Chinese tourists. According to a joint report by the China Tourism Academy and Ctrip, Chengdu joins first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai as one of the top Chinese cities that shipped the 59.03 million outbound Chinese tourists all over the world, at the sixth position.

The first half of the year has already seen the number of Chinese outbound tourists surpass the halfway mark of the number of outbound tourists in 2015 – a record high 109 million – with Chengdu as a huge contributor to the figures. While the rest of the world are still crunching the inbound tourism figures during the Golden Week, China is set to retain its status as the largest tourism market in the world.

With online travel agencies like Tongcheng and Tuniu selling tour packages in the consumer section, Chengdu International Tourism Expo 2016 2016 will support the outbound tourism of Chengdu and the Southwestern region of the land of the red dragon. Chengdu International Tourism Expo 2016 is set to welcome embassies, national tourism organisations, travel agencies, airlines etc, to meet with the local trade visitors and hosted buyers from Chengdu and the provinces around Sichuan. Through a series of meeting sessions, the exhibitors, visitors and sellers can negotiate in mutually beneficial business collaboration, further propelling the outbound tourism market of Chengdu, and the inbound tourism of the exhibiting countries.

About Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd.
Founded in 1980, Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) Pte Ltd is a pioneer in Singapore’s conference and exhibition scene. A regional organiser with a global perspective, CEMS has vast knowledge and experience in organising and managing events for government agencies, associations and private enterprises. CEMS is active in the ASEAN region including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, China in North Asia, and Pakistan in South Asia.

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