Running concurrently with ITB China, the ITB China Conference 2025 will take place from May 27 to 29 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. Co-organized with TravelDaily, a leading professional conference organizer in China’s travel industry, the conference will focus on six key themes: China Outbound Travel, China Inbound Travel, Hotel and Hospitality, MICE & Business Travel, Themed & Customized Travel, and Travel Tech Innovation. Over the three days, more than 150 global and local industry leaders will share insights across 60+ keynote speeches, executive interviews, panel discussions, and industry dialogues – diving deep into the most pressing issues and forward-looking strategies shaping the future of China’s travel landscape.
Among the broad range of topics, particular attention will be given to two key forum sessions: Outbound Travel: New Directions and Shifting Demands and Hospitality: Rethinking the Guest Experience. These sessions will explore how evolving traveler expectations and shifting market dynamics are transforming international travel and guest experiences. Key speakers include industry leaders from Trip.com Group, the European Travel Commission, Tourism Economics, the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Kazakh Tourism, HCG International Travel Group, Tuniu.com, Jin Jiang International, Donghu Group, and more.
Outbound Travel: New Directions and Shifting Demands
The Outbound Travel sessions on May 27 in Conference Room A will explore how the industry is adapting to travelers’ behavioral shifts and future growth.
Under the theme “China Outbound Travel – What Does the Future Hold?,” Michael Shoory, Head of APAC Tourism Analysis at Tourism Economics, will provide valuable insights into expected travel flows for the coming decade based on Oxford Economics’ forecasts and explore how China’s role in the international tourism landscape may evolve compared to domestic and inbound trends.
The session titled “The New Rules of Attraction: How Overseas Destinations Adapt to Changing Demands of Chinese Travelers” will feature representatives from the Moroccan National Tourist Office, the European Travel Commission, the United (Beijing) International Travel Service, Trip.com Group, and TravelDaily. The session will focus on market recovery strategies, generational shifts in traveler expectations, and how destinations can remain relevant in an increasingly competitive environment.
How younger demographics are reshaping traditional group travel will be examined in the roundtable “New Products + New Grouping Models + New DMCs = The Emerging Trends of Group Tours”. The session will feature representatives from Kazakh Tourism, Youxiake International, HCG International Travel Group and LAZY CAT TRAVEL. It will focus on three key areas: product restructuring to adapt to evolving consumer needs, the development of innovative group tour models, and the upgrading of ground services.
Representatives from Xinjiang China International Travel Service Co., Ltd, 6 RENYOU Tailor-made Travel, Zhiketong Technology, Tuniu.com, and Shenzhou Travel Hundred Person Club will share successful case studies and beneficial insights on how to boost conversion through effective digital media strategies in the panel “From Customer Acquisition to Precision Conversion: The Evolution of New Media Strategies”.
The keynote “Decoding the Revival: Air Travel Resurgence & Hospitality Trends Behind the Numbers” by Hanming Li of globaltraveldata.com will deliver insights into recovery trends in air travel and hospitality through analysis of booking patterns and flight capacity data.
Hospitality: Rethinking the Guest Experience
The Hospitality sessions on May 29 at Conference Room A will delve into the transformation of hotel brands and services in response to rising demand for personalized, high-value, and tech-driven guest experiences. The sessions are tailored to hospitality professionals seeking to evolve with shifting consumer expectations.
Xueying Dai from Horwath HTL shares key metrics on China’s luxury hotel recovery in the session “Metrics & Momentum: China’s Luxury Hotel Recovery & Guest Spending Patterns” and will explore how service innovations and travel agency partnerships are boosting bookings and guest spending in both domestic and inbound markets.
As guests increasingly seek immersive and personalized experiences, industry leaders from Donghu Group, Relais & Châteaux, Xi You, and New Century Tourism Group explore how local culture, art, cuisine, community resources, and smart technology can be integrated to strengthen brand identity, drive customer loyalty, and expand competitive advantage in the session “Integrating Local Experiences into Hotels – How to Expand Core Competitiveness Beyond Accommodation”.
The session “Hotel Group Brand Strategy – Does More Brands Mean More Profit?” will explore the role of brand diversification in driving business performance. Executives from Jin Jiang International and other leading hospitality groups will share their perspectives on portfolio expansion, brand positioning, and how to strike the right balance between scale and differentiation in an increasingly competitive market.
Cindy Heo of the EHL Hospitality Business School will showcase how data quality, system integration, and AI tools can elevate service levels and operational efficiency in the session “AI in the Hospitality Industry – Turning Deep Data into Superior Guest Experiences”.
Exhibitor Insights at the Presentation Hub
The Presentation Hub offers a dynamic stage for exhibitors to share their strategies, innovations, and destination highlights tailored to China’s outbound travel market.
On May 27, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will highlight the region’s potential under the theme “Where you can achieve MORE.” VFS Global will address solutions to simplify cross-border mobility. The Brazilian Tourist Board will highlight Brazil‘ss unparalleled natural beauty and vibrant culture. The Mexico City Ministry of Tourism will present the country’s unique blend of nature and culture, while Simplifly Technology will focus on the application of AI in the field of air travel itinerary splicing. Addionally, Astana Tourism will unveil the tourism potential of Astana by strategies and initiatives.
The following day, on May 28, CONVERGENT will outline how B2B travel platforms are driving a new outbound travel experience. Expedia Group will present innovations shaping the future of travel. LianLian Global will focus on the role of cross-border payment technologies in enabling seamless global travel. Further highlights include destination presentations from the Israel Ministry of Tourism titled “Welcome back, Israel is waiting for you!”; Nium, exploring opportunities and challenges in airline payments and distribution; and Diriyah, standing as a symbol of Saudi Arabia’s rich history and cultural heritageas the birthplace of the Saudi state.
