导语：Opening Speech at COTTM 2025 Ms Qing QinghuiCOTTM Project Director 24 April, 2025
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen!
My name is Qing Qinghui, the Project Director of China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM). In this vibrant spring season in Beijing, filled with blooming flowers and hope, we are delighted and expectant to welcome the 18th China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM). In fact, half a year ago, at the end of October last year, COTTM was also held here, and I was on this stage to welcome tourism professionals from around the world. Today, on behalf of the Organisers of COTTM, I would like to extend my warmest welcome and heartfelt gratitude to all exhibitors, speakers, Chinese tourism professionals, partners, and media friends from all over the world!
As time passes and the seasons change, through trials and tribulations, China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM) has been serving the industry for twenty years since its establishment in Beijing in April 2005. Over the past 20 years, the Chinese outbound tourism industry has witnessed rapid development and prosperity, as well as a reconstruction and recovery. The main players and business models in China's outbound tourism industry have evolved from the wholesale and retail system in 2005, the dominance of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) in 2015, to the current multi-polar pattern. The power of technology has reshaped and innovated the outbound tourism industry in terms of product innovation, marketing promotion, booking decisions, and operational management. AI technologies represented by Deepseek have profoundly changed China's outbound tourism industry in aspects such as itinerary planning, personalized experiences, efficiency improvement, and trend predictions. Over these twenty years, COTTM is proud to have served more than 6,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries around the world. China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM) has witnessed the great changes and development in the industry.
Despite the continuous challenges to globalization and the ongoing restructuring of the world economic and trade system, the Chinese outbound tourism market still stands out as the most dazzling part of the global tourism economic landscape, attracting the high attention of tourism destination governments, tourism resource suppliers, and the industry from many countries around the world! Today, the 18th China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM 2025) welcomes the participation of 150 exhibitors from 45 destination countries around the world. We are very glad to welcome back old friends such as the tourism boards of Egypt, Tunisia, Nepal, Mongolia, Peru, and other countries. We are also delighted to welcome the participation of government delegations from the Ionian Islands of Greece and Oman. At the same time, we are very excited to welcome Russian Tourism Board, leading 9 regional tourism boards, 21 tour operators, hotels, museums and in total more than 30 organisations to participate! Furthermore, Adel EL ARBI, the Ambassador of Embassy of Tunisia, Anouar CHETOUI, the Chief Representative of Tunisian National Tourist Office, Mr. Enkhbold, the Ambassador of Mongolia to China, and Ms. Narantuya, the Counsellor of Mongolia, are just at our Conference onsite. By taking this opportunity, I would like to express our sincere gratitude again to all exhibitors participating in COTTM!
As the industry knows well, COTTM has always been committed to gathering the "new, unique, and amazing" products and services of tourism destinations around the world in Beijing, providing various possibilities and choices for Chinese outbound tourism operators to create highly personalized and customized products and services. At this COTTM, from ancient civilizations to famous cultural cities, from traditional tourism destinations to emerging destinations along the Belt and Road, from the Flamenco in Spain to the jungle adventures in Nepal, from the Carthage culture in Tunisia to the Inca culture in South America; whether it's the thousand-year legend under the pyramids or the wild call of the African savannah; whether it's the romantic ice and snow in Russia or the coconut breeze and warm sunshine on the islands of Southeast Asia, COTTM brings together product suppliers and service providers from all over the world, offering personalized and customized services.
As before, the "COTTM Conference" will also be held in this meeting room. This conference will cover topics such as "New Trends in Outbound Tourism," "The Development and Opportunities in China's Tourism Retail Sector," "Visa Services," "Destination Marketing Innovation," and "Digital Transformation." On the afternoon of the 25th, we will hold the "COTTM Outbound Tourism Investment & Development Forum" for the second time, providing more opportunities for overseas tourism destinations to connect with Chinese cultural and tourism investors and hotel brands.
In addition, in another conference room, the COTTM Activity Center, on the first and second days of the exhibition, there will be presentations by the tourism boards from Russia, Egypt, Tunisia, Nepal, Mongolia, and Oman, as well as Mahan Air and two Chinese cruise companies. On the third day, there will be cultural activities and performance from Russia and Mongolia.
In addition to the participation of tourism destination countries, embassies and consulates, tourism resources, and service providers from around the world at COTTM, Chinese leading outbound tourism operators and travel agencies represented by Utour Group and HCG International Travel Service Group also fully support the development of COTTM. Mr. Pan Bo, the President of HCG and Mr. Cao Jian, the President of Utour Group, will also give keynote speeches in the following. In the next three days, it is expected 3,000 industry professionals will visit and make purchases at COTTM2025. At the same time, we have also invited 200 outbound tourism operators as VIP buyers. In the past two weeks, these buyers have initiated nearly 2,500 appointments with exhibitors through the appointment system.
As the COTTM key strategical partner, China Tourism Academy, has supported COTTM for the past decade. Today, we are once again very honored to invite Dr. Yang Jinsong, Director of the International Exchange Department of the China Tourism Academy, to give a speech at COTTM! I would like to extend a warm welcome to him!
COTTM will continue to help global tourism destinations deeply understand and gain insights into the new demands and behavior patterns of Chinese consumers for outbound travel, and to provide value for overseas destination institutions to find partners in the Chinese market, and for Chinese outbound tourism professionals to source and connect with overseas resources. COTTM will keep pace with the times, be full of vitality, and embark on the next 20 years together with the Chinese outbound tourism industry.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to reveal our group company's development strategy on COTTM: We will launch the "COTTM Adventure Experience" in Chengdu on 19-21 September this year. We sincerely look forward to the continued support from the industry!
