ITB China Partners with Tourism Economics, Fliggy & Ant International

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Ahead of ITB China 2026, taking place from 26 to 28 May in Shanghai, the upcoming ITB China Travel Trends Report 2026/27 will spotlight major developments shaping the global and Chinese travel industry, including AI-driven transformation, changing consumer behavior, outbound travel recovery, and new trends in MICE and themed travel.

As an annual publication, the ITB China Travel Trends Report aims to provide global travel strategists, business leaders, and market decision-makers with first-hand insights into the latest trends shaping the Chinese travel market. It supports the industry in adapting business operations, product strategies, and service models within a rapidly evolving environment.

Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, is a leading authority in travel market forecasting, providing data support and global trend insights. Fliggy, Alibaba Group’s travel technology platform, connects Chinese travelers with a broad travel supply chain and offers insights into travel consumption, user behavior, destination trends, and AI applications. Ant International, a leading global provider of digital payments, digitisation and financial technology services, leverages its diverse capabilities in global travel and commerce digitisation. Starting from payment and service scenarios, it provides consumer spending trend analysis for the report, helping further decode changes in tourist spending behaviors in cross-border consumption and travel scenarios. ITB China will combine its industry resources with the expertise of the three partners to analyse key shifts in Chinese and global travel markets, covering trends in consumption, product and service upgrades, payment ecosystems, and technology-driven transformation.

The ITB China Travel Trends Report 2026/27 will cover key developments in global and Chinese travel markets, including:

• Global travel performance in 2025 and the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic factors on travel flows and competition;

• China’s outbound travel recovery, evolving destinations, products, and traveller segments in 2026/27;

• Shifting consumer values, with focus on luxury, cruise, educational, and sports tourism;

• The role of AI in improving efficiency, services, product development, and marketing;

• Trends in China’s MICE and business travel market;

• Insights into China’s inbound travel market, including challenges and opportunities in promotion, conversion, and service readiness.

 Michael Shoory, Head of APAC Tourism Analysis, Tourism Economics, said:

“Tourism Economics are excited to collaborate with ITB China to produce the 2026/27 ITB China Travel Trends Report, building on the relationship formed last year. This report will explore trends and developments in outbound and inbound travel involving the Chinese market, traveler preferences, challenges and opportunities for the industry, and the growing role of AI. I’m also looking forward to attending ITB China in person – both to present insights on the Chinese outbound market, and to connect with industry partners and travel businesses.”

Zoran Zhuang, CEO of Fliggy and Vice President of Alibaba Group, said:

“The global travel market has entered a new stage of development. In the context of the intelligent economy, there is significant potential to further enhance the convenience, diversity, and quality of travel experiences. We are very pleased to partner on the ITB China Travel Trends Report. We believe this collaboration will foster deeper industry dialogue and forward-looking insights and jointly support a more dynamic and progressive future for the global travel market.”

Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said:

“By working closely with global partners across the ecosystem and embracing new technologies, Ant International is committed to driving meaningful progress and robust growth in cross-border travel and creating better experiences for travelers worldwide. By integrating a real-time, ready-to-use smart travel assistant into the digital payment tools consumers rely on — through seamless payment connectivity, diverse cross-border services and offers — we are creating new connection opportunities for global merchants and wallet partners. This enables them to easily engage with overseas travelers in a way that is more relevant to consumer needs and personalized, allowing them to do global business right at their doorstep.”

The ITB China Travel Trends Report 2026/27 is expected to be released after this year’s ITB China and will be available for download on the ITB China website, supported by global media distribution and communications.

The report draws on ITB China’s extensive industry network, including feedback from over 1,700 buyers in the ITB Buyers Circle in China, as well as executive interviews with destinations, industry associations, travel agencies, MICE buyers, technology companies, and leading travel organizations in China and abroad.

It will highlight key shifts in the Chinese travel market across outbound and inbound travel, themed travel consumption, MICE, and the growing application of AI in the travel industry.

Final call for visitor registration

ITB China 2026 will take place from 26 to 28 May at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. Visitor and media registration for ITB China 2026 is closing soon. Travel industry professionals are encouraged to complete their registration in time to gain first-hand insights into the latest trends in the Chinese travel market, connect with high-quality global travel resources, and meet industry partners from China and around the world face-to-face.