VISIT MALDIVES RETURN TO “ITB CHINA 2023” POST PANDEMIC

VISIT MALDIVES RETURN TO “ITB CHINA 2023” POST PANDEMIC

  • 14 September 2023

Visit Maldives attended ITB China 2023 as the designated Island Travel Partner. The event was held in Shanghai from September 12 to September 14 of 2023 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. At ITB China 2023, Visit Maldives worked with 33 businesses to bring together 64 delegates to promote the Maldives to the Chinese market. As the first B2B trade show to be conducted in China following the start of the epidemic three years earlier, this occasion represented a crucial turning point. It also marked Visit Maldives's first live involvement in a real-world tourist event in China since international borders were once again opened.

ITB China 2023 is one of the biggest B2B trade exhibitions exclusively devoted to the Chinese travel market providing a global professional forum for industry experts and offers a variety of networking opportunities to meet potential agents and buyers from several important source markets.

Visit Maldives was given the unique chance to host a Networking Lunch, an exclusive meeting of 100 sponsored buyers painstakingly handpicked by the ITB China organizers, as the Island Travel Partner. The occasion offered possibilities for meaningful networking sessions, where Visit Maldives had interesting conversations. Additionally, Visit Maldives advertised the Maldives and its products in the presentation hub, which could accommodate up to 80 potential customers.

One of the most important markets for the Maldives' tourism sector has traditionally been China with it being the Maldives' third-largest source market. China has always been one of the most significant markets for the Maldives' tourism industry. Direct flights between China and the Maldives resumed on January 18, 2023, following a 3-year hiatus due to border closures brought on by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Despite these border limitations, China was the third-largest source market for the Maldives as of September 5, 2023, with 123,824 entries. Arrivals were rising steadily and were getting near to pre-pandemic levels.

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