Tourism operators show strong development momentum at CIIE
Tourism industry operators are exhibiting actively at the 7th China International Import Expo, demonstrating strong tourism development momentum and their big development plans.
Cathay Group meticulously created a 200-square-meter immersive interactive booth, bringing together its core business areas and showcasing for the first time its latest cabin products, industry-innovative service models, and passenger and cargo solutions.
Through interactive ways, people can experience how "digital intelligence" and "green flight" will define future travel.
A selection of specially chosen meals that integrate Hong Kong style and global representatives, accompanied by Chinese red wine, are also featured at the booth.
Cathay will continue to expand its fleet size and introduce more than 100 new-generation aircraft in the next few years to assist in the modernization of the fleet, it announced during the CIIE.
Since 2024, Cathay has announced 17 new destinations, 10 of which have officially commenced operations. Currently, Cathay Group's passenger flights have reached more than 80 destinations worldwide, and this number is expected to reach 100 by 2025.
"Cathay Group's passenger flight number is expected to return to 100 percent of pre-pandemic level starting at the beginning of 2025, and over the next seven years, the group will invest more than 100 billion Hong Kong dollars mainly in the introduction of new generation aircraft," said Ronald Lam, chief executive officer of Cathay Group.
China's leading multi-brand hotel operator Huazhu Group made a debut at this year's CIIE and reached a number of strategic cooperation agreements with enterprises such as Guangxi Tourism Development Group and leading furniture and decoration mall Red Star Macalline. Under the agreements, they will conduct in-depth cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism industry, supply chain, and hotel development and operations.
The booth showcases the innovative models of Huazhu, including its efficient supply chain management model, product and service innovation, as well as hotel facilities and oriental aesthetics.
As of June 30, the group had been operating more than 10,000 hotels in 18 countries.
So far, Huazhu's brand hotels have achieved a full-process digital experience and management for users from reservation, check-in, check-out, to the next-time reservation. The efficient digital operation system has also achieved precise passenger flow and service demand forecasting, as well as dynamic allocation of channels and resources.
French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette also made a debut at this year's CIIE.
As one of the world's oldest department stores, this year also coincides with the 130th anniversary of Galeries Lafayette. With the theme "Thriving in China - The Next Chapter," the brand showcased its four core segments - fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and gourmet - within the French Pavilion, celebrating its century-long development and paying tribute to the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations through the fusion and dialogue of Chinese and French cultures,.
The booth showcases the essence of the brand's authentic French elegance. The main color for its appearance is purple, bold and distinctive, reflecting Galeries Lafayette's expectations for the Chinese market. Visitors can immerse themselves in the shopping experience that Galeries Lafayette offers to consumers.
Galeries Lafayette has a profound connection with China. As early as 1994, the Houze family, owners of Galeries Lafayette, visited China and established the brand's first store in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in 1997.
In 2025, Galeries Lafayette will further enhance the flexibility of its business model by opening franchise operations and adopting a hybrid operation model, and deepen its collaboration with designers and brands, further solidifying its core business segment by discovering and incubating emerging designer brands, collaborating with world-renowned designers, and setting up fashion awards, it revealed during the expo.
Leading global international hotel group InterContinental Hotels Group designed an exclusive space like an art frame in the Trade in Services area.
IHG has attended the CIIE for the seventh consecutive year, focusing on showcasing the design and experience of its hotel brands, as well as the group's rich brand portfolio, and demonstrating the group's confidence in promoting the high-quality development of China's cultural and tourism market.
In recent years, as the tourism industry has shifted from market recovery to high-quality development, consumer demand for high value hotel products and diversified destinations has deepened, bringing significant growth potential to the medium-to-high-end hotel market.
IHG has been in China for 49 years and has introduced 12 brands to China, with more than 1,300 opened and under-construction hotels in over 200 cities.