With the tourism economy in China gradually recovering in stability, the China outbound tourism industry has returned to normal. The President of China Tourism Academy, Dr. Dai Bin, stated at 2024 COTTM Conference that Chinese outbound tourism had recovered to 82% of the level in 2019 in the first half of the year. During this year’s National Day holiday, the number of outbound tourism trips has reached 3.8 million. It is expected to be close to its level of 2019 in the second half of 2024.
Judging from various data, China’s outbound tourism is returning to a new stage of normal development and will enter a new cycle of prosperity. Serving the industry for 20 years, COTTM is regarded as the industry’s most important platform and remains the only business to business event that focuses purely on the burgeoning outbound market. Since its establishment in April 2005, COTTM has made a significant contribution in the development of China’s outbound tourism market, providing a vital platform for international travel destinations and tourism product suppliers, especially from the long-haul and niche resource destinations, to communicate with the China tourism industry and to set up important partnerships with Chinese travel trade professionals. The COTTM Organiser recently has announced that the 18th China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM2025) will return to spring, to be held on 24-26 April 2025, at the New Hall of the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre in Beijing. COTTM2024, the 17 th edition, successfully held in Beijing on 16-18 October 2024, welcomed 220 exhibitors from 52 countries (regions), including tens of tourism boards, embassies, and destination tourism resource providers.
Cottm Fairground during the conference
Meanwhile, COTTM2024 attracted over 3000 Chinese outbound tourism professionals and experts visiting the show. It is expected that over 250 exhibitors from 60 countries/regions will participate in COTTM2025 in April, covering a variety of unique global travel products and services. The Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ambassador of Egypt to China, the Egyptian Tourism Authority CEO, the Minister of Tourism of Tunisia, the Ambassador of Tunisia to China and the Chief Representative of the Tunisian National Tourist office all led their national tourism delegations to participate in COTTM 2024. In addition, tourism boards and tourism associations from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Poland, Belarus, Peru, Georgia, Sarajevo, Mongolia and etc also participated in COTTM2024. Moreover, the destination product suppliers from Azerbaijan, Maldives, Madagascar, Namibia, Bohemia, Dominica, Republic of SAN Marino, Kenya, Malta, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Italy, Finland, Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Chile, Peru, Georgia, Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Bosnia and Herzegovina exhibited at COTTM 2024. Their products cover high-end customization, adventure, special interest tours, safari, eco- tourism, outdoor sports, honeymoon, culture, photography, MICE, hotels, visa service, transportation, travel technology and etc. International flight routes and direct flights are one of the hot focuses for all Chinese outbound tour operators as well. COTTM2024 has also drawn a number of renowned international airlines, such as Turkish Airlines, Air Algerie, Egypt Air, Air Astana of Kazakhstan, Polish Airlines and etc., to continuously escort the rapidly recovering outbound travel market.
Impressions from COTTM 2024
COTTM 2025 will welcome a visitor audience of over 4,000 outbound tour operators from all over China.
COTTM 2024 attracted nearly 3,000 buyers/trade visitors from China outbound top tour operators to visit. According to the buyer survey conducted on site, COTTM2024 buyers are more enthusiastic about the first- hand resources of overseas destinations, such as: high-end, small packaged tours, family and study tours, corporate travel, hotel, island tours and etc. 95.79% of buyers commented that they basically achieved the purpose of procurement and 99.4% of buyers expressed that they had sourced and made connections with the proper suppliers at COTTM2024. It is expected that COTTM 2025 will welcome over 4,000 outbound tour operators from all over China.
Over 50 industry leaders and experts will speak at 2025 COTTM Conference
Parallel to the exhibition, the “COTTM Conference” will also take place at the show site for 3 days, and is accessible to all COTTM participants free of charge. At 2024 COTTM Conference, more than 40 China outbound travel industry key players and influential experts spoke at the event, covering the hot topics like opportunities and challenges in the outbound travel retailing sector, One Belt One Road, new marketing channels, new demands, customized tourism, AIGC new technology, sustainable tourism and etc. 2025 COTTM Outbound Tourism Investment & Development Forum During the COTTM2024 Conference, the organiser launched the “COTTM Outbound Tourism Investment & Development Forum” on 17th October 2024. The Forum is committed to providing a business matching platform for Chinese outbound hotel brands and tourism investors with overseas project parties. It also aims to export matured Chinese tourism industry solutions, advanced technologies, and equipment manufacturing to overseas destinations, and ultimately, to help destinations to increase the quality of products. The COTTM2025 Investment Forum welcomes overseas Ministries of Tourism/Tourism Boards, Embassies and Consulates, investment association/government officials, tourism investment management, hotel investors, brand management organisations, tour operators, infrastructure providers, tourism and amusement facilities and operational system providers to participate.
