EU, China Line Up Joint Travel Events, Collaborations

The European Commission-funded Partnerships in European Tourism project will be implemented in Beijing at the China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market in April 2018.

This will mark the first of a series of B2B tourism events taking place in China as part of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year that was announced in 2016 by President of European Commission Jean-Claude Junker and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Travel Daily News reported.

Partnerships in European tourism is an initiative aimed at supporting EU tourism businesses and operators wishing to expand their businesses in China. This is achieved through tutoring activities, facilitating new collaborations and partnerships around trans-European tourist products and the organization of B2B matchmaking and other promotional events alongside international fairs.

Now in its 14th year, COTTM is the longest running and most well-respected platform for outbound tourism market. It is the only business-to-business event that focuses on the expanding outbound tourism market.

In 2017, COTTM attracted over 4,300 Chinese trade buyers and more than 450 exhibitors from 70 countries.

COTTM was selected as the first venue to host a China-based event in the 2018 program–a B2B matchmaking between European businesses and Chinese operators will take place, as well as a thematic conference on EU-China cooperation on tourism with a focus on the particular draw of family travel to Europe.

The European delegation is working closely with China Tourism Academy to deliver a conference program within the COTTM program to demonstrate the very best of Europe’s offer to the outbound Chinese market.

Dai Bing, president of China Tourism Academy, said COTTM aims to promote the development of China outbound tourism and partnerships between China and overseas destinations since it was launched.

“CTA is willing to support cooperation between COTTM and European Travel Commission and European Tourism Association,” Dai said.