Tourism firms and airlines showcase eco-friendly initiatives
Experiencing Cathay's business class
Airlines and tourism operators are exhibiting actively and prominently at the ongoing 6th China International Import Expo, demonstrating the solid tourism recovery momentum and their eco-friendly quest.
Cathay Group, a newcomer to the CIIE, has a cabin experience section that duplicates the feeling of flying in business-class seats, delectable Cantonese cuisine, and elegantly made bedding goods.
It also depicts Cathay Pacific Airways' route network and its cargo services.
Cathay Pacific Airways has mapped out a net-zero carbon emission blueprint and sustainable aviation fuel target in order to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and carbon neutrality, pledging to increase the percentage of sustainable aviation fuel to 10 percent of total fuel consumption by 2030.
Interactive and demonstration equipment showcasing how sustainable aviation fuel is processed is on display at its booth. Visitors can learn about the collection, sorting, transformation, and distribution of sustainable aviation fuel.
"We feel honored to be a part of the CIIE, and it is an ideal platform to showcase our new development strategies," said Ronald Lam, chief executive officer of Cathay Group. "We look forward to making new friends here and expanding our 'friend circle.'"
Cathay Pacific Airways has resumed roughly 70 percent of flights compared to pre-pandemic levels, which Lam described as an "encouraging figure."
"We are continuing to resume flight capacity between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, covering 16 cities with 180 flights operated weekly, and the ultimate goal is 300-plus," he said.
Cathay's bedding items
Strong confidence in China's tourism market
The World Travel and Tourism Council expects travel and tourism's contribution to the global economy will expand by 5.8 percent annually over the next decade.
China's travel and tourism sector, in particular, is expected to contribute a stunning US$1.4 trillion, or 7.2 percent of total GDP. By 2033, the contribution is expected to treble to approximately US$4 trillion.
Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain, is displaying a unique design.
At the Marriott's booth, visitors can listen to DJ music. Simon Adams, a DJ at W Shanghai – The Bund, has been performing at the event.
The booth also serves exquisite afternoon tea.
In the last six years (2018–2023), the hospitality giant virtually doubled its presence in China, expanding from 264 hotels to more than 520 currently, covering 24 luxury, premium and select service brands in roughly 140 cities and destinations. The entire distribution accounts for 10 percent of the company's total rooms worldwide.
China has become a crucial emerging market for Marriott International, which is committed to long-term growth in the market.
It expects to open another 400 hotels in China, totaling around 105,000 rooms and accounting for 19 percent of its global pipeline.
"We are confident about the market potential in China," said Mao Yibing, president of Marriott International's China Market.
In support of the Chinese government's "double carbon" objective, Marriott declared it will achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050, and tiny, throwaway plastic toiletry bottles have been replaced with bigger pump-topped bottles in over 95 percent of guestrooms.
The company also makes efforts to reduce food waste and promote green travel through the deployment of electric vehicles.
Marriott International's booth is crowded with visitors.
