Applications are now open for World Bridge Tourism London, the second precursor event for the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year.
Supported and funded by the EU, World Bridge Tourism is delivered by European Travel Commission (ETC), the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) and Welcome Chinese to increase the flows of visitors from China to Europe.
Like the first World Bridge Tourism event, which was held in conjunction with ITB China in Shanghai in May, the second event in London will aim to bring Chinese outbound buyers and European tourism suppliers together as it takes place alongside the Global European Marketplace on November 2-3.
The two-day event will start with a conference on November 2 at The Mermaid theatre. Chaired by COTRI’s Wolfgang Arlt and conducted in both English and Chinese, the conference will feature addresses from the European Commission and provide best practice examples to illustrate the changing needs and expectations of Chinese visitors to Europe.
A B2B matchmaking event follows on November 3 at the InterContinental London – The O2, featuring 32 pre-scheduled appointments between 150 European tourism suppliers and 100 Chinese tour operators, wholesalers and intermediaries.
All tourism businesses with products in Europe (particularly SMEs) and Chinese operators looking to contract European products are invited and eligible to participate. Applicants will be chosen from a list presented to the European Commission in mid-September.
The London events will be preceded by a webinar on the current status of Chinese outbound tourism and best practice tips on how to conduct successful business interactions with the Chinese market. The webinar will be broadcast live on September 21 and registrations will open soon.
