GITF 2018, a mega tourism show in South China

2018-3-6

Known as the “Tourism vane in South China”, the Guangzhou International Travel Fair 2018 (GITF 2018) came to a successful close at China Import and Export Fair Complex Guangzhou today. Attracting 1,029 exhibitors from 53 countries and regions, this year’s show covered a total display area of 36,000 sqm. The three-day exhibition received 37,334 trade visitors, having increased 19.5% compared to the last edition and 815 of them were VIP buyers.

With increasing four exhibiting halls to five, this year’s show evidently expanded its scale. The show featured the new Tourist Culture and Commodity Hall. Apart from displaying intangible culture, creative culture tourism products and local specialties, the Guangfu Tea House exhibitions in urban cultural brand promotion area introduced dynamic Cantonese culture and China’s B&B area were debuted with an emphasis of unique travel experience and feeling. The show also attracted new participating countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Rwanda, Slovakia, Australia, New Zealand and Tanzania. Consul Generals and representatives from 33 countries’ consulates in Guangzhou made their presence at the show, hitting a record high.

Seeing a large flow of visitors and hot communication and negotiation atmosphere onsite, the organizer expressed that upon the development over the years, GITF continuously innovated its operating plan concepts to meet customer’s needs and grasped the opportunities brought by Chinese tourism industry transferring from a large industry to a powerful one to develop new tourism IP and create a new aircraft carrier in tourism industry.

Annual grand event at a high international level
At GITF 2018, 68% of over 1000 enterprises were international exhibitors. The proportion of international and domestic exhibitors raised 5% than last year.

As the partner country, Panama organized nearly 20 travel agencies to explore China’s market, not only bringing new products, but also making their contribution to deepen the trade cooperation between the two countries. Located in the central east of Africa, Rwanda attended GITF as well, showing its appeal to exhibitors worldwide. Shamir, Commercial Consul of the Rwanda Embassy in China, expressed that the Guangzhou International Travel Fair is an excellent platform. With Rwanda rated as top 18 must-visit destinations worldwide, Shamir hoped that more people could know Rwanda from GITF.

Also, many old exhibitors from France, Peru, Mexico, Philippines, Cambodia and Greece promoted their brands in an effort of devoting new vigor into their destinations, providing diversified choices for customers with more convenient and favorable travel modes. The aviation representatives from the Southern Hemisphere were impressed with the show’s large scale. From innovative display by worldwide exhibitors and the attention of international media, it’s demonstrated that Chinese market has become a focus of international tourism sector.

Consumption upgrading to promote high-quality tourism
Tourism has increasingly become a rigid demand for the public with strong economic growth, improving people’s life and diversifying spiritual and cultural life. Deepening cultural experience is an important development task of cultural and tourism industry in the new economic situation. Therefore, this year’s show especially set up urban cultural brand promotion area, introducing special cultural activities including Guangfu roadshow, Tea House exhibitions and culture experience tour to promote the international development of Guangfu cultural industry. Praised as “A Product of Feelings Culture”, B&B showed its unique charm at the GITF.

In addition, with the upgrading of tourism consumption and the explosive increasing of experiencing consumption both at home and abroad, tourism enterprises promoted various products including personalized tour, themed tour and customized tour to attract buyers’ attention.

Cross-border thinking leading the revolution of tourism industry
The “Four Portals” NetEase, Sina, Sohu and Tencent kicked off the fast growth of Chinese Internet industry, witnessed the “Golden Age of Chines PC Internet Industry” from 1998 to 2007, profoundly influencing China’s economic and social development. Experts believe that 2018 marks a new beginning of the next “Golden Decade”. Various new concepts and technologies including artificial intelligence, block chain and quantum technology have become new hotspots of global technology. Under such background, tourism industry promotes its innovation by integrating big data, artificial intelligence, mobile Internet, cloud computing and Internet of Things. As the concurrent activity, the “Global Intelligent Travel and Tourism Innovation Summit” integrated advantageous resources of IT and related industrial capital, comprehensively demonstrating the innovation and application of smart travel applications, products, VR and other technologies in the tourism industry. Experts from tourism technology industry and Internet tourism shared their insights with onsite visitors and analyzed the current status of Chinese tourism industry.

Meanwhile, 22 seminars and new product release presses were held by exhibitors from Panama, Peru, Russia, Mexico, Reunion Island, Sri Lanka, Los Angeles, Italy, Cambodia, Wuhan, Chongqing and China Taiwan, providing a one-stop platform for buyers to get diversified tourism information and explore international tourism market.

Having a foothold in South China and covering Asia, GITF is dedicated to becoming an aircraft carrier in the industry by its strong capability, gathering more tourism partners and buyers together to jointly write a new chapter. The next edition will be held on February 21-23, 2019.