The 33rd Guangzhou International Travel Fair grandly opened today!

2025-05-15

OPENING:

The global travel industry witnessed the grand opening

 

The drumbeats reverberate along the banks of the Pearl River, and the unicorn treads on the clouds as dawn breaks. The opening ceremony officially began with the vigorous and dynamic performance of the Guangdong intangible cultural heritage, the Qilin Dance. The 2025 Guangzhou International Travel Fair, with this auspicious dance passed down for six hundred years, will knock on the door to the future of the world's tourism industry.

 

Zhao Hong, member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Wang Changjiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Ma Shu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, Liu Yumei, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism, Liu Guoliang, Managing Director of Hannover Messe China Co., LTD., and Mr. Buddhika, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board Hewawasam, Peter Semone, the president of PATA Asia Pacific Travel Association, Mrs. Kang Da-eun, the Secretary-General of the Global Urban Tourism Development Organization, and Mr.Tuan Hilmi Bin, the chairperson of the Housing, Health and Environment Committee of the Local Government of Kelantan, Malaysia Abdullah and officials and representatives from the consulates General of 37 countries including Iran, Angola, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Cuba, Nepal and Singapore in Guangzhou attended the opening ceremony.

 

At the opening ceremony, Liu Yumei, the director of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism, delivered a welcoming speech. Liu Guoliang, the managing director of Hannover Messe (China) Co., LTD., introduced the highlights of this year's exhibition. Subsequently, Mr. Buddhika Hewawasam, the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board, the star partner of this exhibition, delivered a speech. He said, "China is an important source market for tourists in Sri Lanka. They will further deepen cooperation with their Chinese partners." And promote tourism resources through measures such as strengthening digital publicity, international exhibition cooperation and reality show shooting, to attract more Chinese tourists to experience Sri Lanka's cultural heritage, natural landscapes and sustainable tourism advantages.

 

 

GITF2025——

Global cultural and tourism resources are precisely connected to the smart hub

The so-called "intelligent hub" is the core link that connects, drives, integrates, empowers and supports. After 33 years of in-depth cultivation and refinement, GITF2025 this year takes "Meaningful Tourism, Lasting Connection" as its theme. This concept breaks through the traditional development framework. By establishing a collaborative mechanism of interests among six core stakeholders - travellers, local communities, tourism practitioners, tourism enterprises, governments at all levels and the natural environment, and based on the theory of positive psychology, a quantifiable win-win development model is created.

Peter Semone, the president of PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association), said, "China plays a crucial role in the global tourism industry - it is not only an important source of tourists but also a vibrant tourist destination with rich natural and cultural landscapes." Exhibitions like GITF are of great significance for promoting the economic development of China's tourism industry, especially for boosting the growth of both domestic and outbound tourism markets.

 

Zoritsa Urosevic, the executive director of the United Nations Tourism Organization, said, "The theme of this year's GITF is very meaningful." Tourism is a key force in building a sustainable future, and we are driving the industry towards a more responsible and resilient direction. From the emission reduction practices in the Canary Islands to China's "Best Tourist Village", we have proved that prosperity and sustainability can coexist.

 

 

01 Wisdom Hub · Emphasis on Connection

The concentration of outbound trips is at its peak, and global destinations are scoring in various ways

 

Guangzhou is a city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a city known as the "Thousand-year-old Commercial Capital", and a city that is pragmatic and enterprising. In recent years, Guangzhou's tourism has been based on industries, enriched with Lingnan culture, won by its unique features, and advanced in a coordinated manner, making efforts throughout the region to empower high-quality development.

 

In May, the global tourism trendsetter gathers again in Guangzhou. This exhibition features over 1,000 exhibitors from 55 countries and regions, jointly painting a new picture of cultural tourism. It is expected that more than 40,000 professional visitors will witness the innovative development of the industry and unlock new codes for future tourism trends.

 

This year's exhibition features a strong lineup of overseas participating institutions. Including Sri Lanka, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Qatar, Spain, France, Poland, Cuba, South Korea, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Kenya, Oman, Argentina, Peru, Ireland, New Zealand, Turkey, Brazil, and Malaysia Such as Madagascar, Amazon, Las Hippocampus, Thailand, Bhutan, Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, PATA (Asia Pacific Travel Association), TPO (Global Urban Tourism Development Organization), etc.

 

KANDY, Sri Lanka, is a Star Partner Destination of GITF2025. At the exhibition, Sri Lanka fully showcased the charm of the Indian Ocean pearl, where a thousand-year-old civilization and natural wonders blend together. One island offers a feast for the eyes: encounters with wild creatures, healing in the secret tea gardens, surfing on the Gold Coast, and a panoramic view of eight World Heritage Sites, experiencing the sensory symphony of the fusion of diverse cultures. This year, with the promotional theme of "A Small Space, Countless Wonders", the focus is on promoting the rich resources that tourists yearn for in Sri Lanka and Kandy.

 

At the exhibition, global destinations bring the latest information and fully display their own charm. The Korea Tourism Organization has comprehensively promoted the specially operated MICE group customized support system. At the same time, it has joined hands with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province to get to know more travel agencies and enterprises from all over the country. Relying on South Korea's rich resources and preferential policies, they jointly develop innovative and attractive incentive tourism and corporate tourism products in South Korea.

 

During the exhibition, the Qatar Tourism Authority brought the freshest destination information and exciting local event details to the audience. It particularly promoted the "Super Value Stopover Package" jointly launched by the Qatar Tourism Authority and Qatar Airways, allowing the audience to have a deeper understanding of the essence of Arab culture and experience the hospitality of Qatar firsthand.

 

 

02 Wisdom Hub · Focusing on Empowerment

Domestic travel makes a wonderful life within reach

 

When the demands for mass tourism become more personalized and diversified, and the frequency of travel increases, a strong demand for mass tourism consumption has become a daily occurrence. When tourism becomes a standard part of a better life, tourism exhibitions become the "copywriting" for those who yearn for a better life, inspiring travel ideas, initiating wonderful experiences, and promoting new business forms.

 

This exhibition has brought together a large number of domestic cultural and tourism departments and enterprises. Including Beijing, Tibet, Hainan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Nyingchi, Chengdu, Chenzhou, Yangzhou, Taizhou, Anshun, Qiqihar, Bijie, Yunfu, Shanwei, Meizhou, Qingyuan, Zhanjiang, Foshan, Wushan, Shufu, Qiannan Prefecture, Bomi, Zhaojun Culture and Tourism, Mangshan Forest Park, Yanguan Ancient City, Puyuan in Tongxiang, Changbai Mountain, Shixuechuan in Zhangjiakou, Niubeishan, Wuzhen in Tongxiang, etc. The event is also full of highlights. Various destinations offer visitors and tourists a variety of creative ways to enjoy the "treasure games", and the tourism exhibition empowers the destinations with more possibilities.

 

In terms of local cultural and tourism presentation, the exhibition has set up special zones such as the "Flowers Bloom in Guangzhou, Blooming around the World" Guangzhou-themed Pavilion, the intangible cultural Heritage Zone, the Homestay zone, and the cultural, cultural and creative products Zone, comprehensively showcasing the vibrant pulse of Guangzhou.

 

The intangible cultural heritage zone showcases a variety of intangible cultural heritage skills, including Guangcai, Guangxiu, Lingnan puppet show, Guangzhou cake seal, Xiguan bone setting, Guangzhou olive carving (nut carving), the making techniques of Jia Nu Bing (Ling Su), the making techniques of Zhongyi 'an Palace Niuhuang Wan, the preparation method of Xiao Chaihu, Lingnan bonsai techniques, the traditional snack making techniques of Shawan water milk, ivory carving, and hand-gilding techniques. Intangible cultural heritage and representative inheritors will be present on the spot, allowing the audience to experience intangible cultural heritage up close.

 

The homestay zone presents a travel and living atmosphere of "one house, one scene, one sentiment", gathering more than ten star-rated homestays in Guangzhou such as Jingmu Mountain House, Ji Yun Yao, He Chun Zhu Homestay, Mo Niang's Home, Yi Lu Bo Wen Homestay, Tao She Xiao Yin, Pu Su Hua Jian, Tan Yun Tian Ju, Yu Chang Wan, Chang Xi Jia Homestay, Xi He Station, Xi Yuan · Man Hao Si Hot Spring Resort Homestay, and Congxin Yin. And it brought wonderful experience projects.

 

More than ten museums, including the Maritime Museum, the Guangzhou Cultural Center, the Zhengjia Natural Science Museum, the Guangzhou Ruifeng Tea Culture Museum, the Tunnel Museum, the Ho Ying-dong Memorial Hall, and the Guangdong Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, have transformed into micro-cultural exhibition venues that are "enjoyable to visit, learn and feel" through digital scene experiences. Visitors are completely immersed in a cross-temporal dialogue with cultural relics.

 

 

03 Smart Hub · The Key lies in construction

Riding on the "National Games" momentum, we build "amazing creativity"

Riding on the momentum of the "National Games" in Guangzhou, the Bay Area Cultural, Sports and Tourism Creative Experience Zone created a creative experience at the exhibition with an astonishing plan. Over the years, this special zone has attracted a large number of young visitors and tourists, becoming an important "check-in" spot at tourism exhibitions.

 

Travel agency industry associations in various regions of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have taken active actions. The "9+2 City Travel Industry Alliance" has regarded the "15th National Games" as an important carrier of the local "event economy", deeply integrating the cultural and tourism industries. Before the opening of the travel exhibition, a closed-door meeting was held and consensus was reached on related matters: By developing integrated products of culture, sports and tourism, innovating all-round linkage mechanisms and building regional service systems, we will join hands to welcome the National Games and promote the high-quality development of tourism in the bay Area.

 

In the creative experience area of GITF, visitors and audiences can encounter the "National Games", the Greater Bay Area, martial arts, Hong Kong music and more, and work together to support the National Games. At the exhibition site, visitors can also encounter a series of amazing events that will amaze tourists, such as the Zumba party, the "Greater Bay Area" MINI Art tunnel, martial arts, Hong Kong music, intangible cultural heritage Hong Kong-style milk tea, a giant seal installation, a collaboration between 100 schools, and artisans.

 

At the end of April this year, Guangzhou has released the "50 Tourist Routes for the Year of the National Games", carefully connecting the characteristic scenic spots of various districts in the city. Cultural landmarks such as the Ancient City of the Maritime Silk Road, Xiguan Arcade, and the New Central Axis Art District have all been launched. Among them, a special "Travel with the Event" theme product has been launched, including theme tourism routes such as Hot Snow Miracle trendy toys, mountain climbing and swinging poles for a long voyage, and endless riding fun. These routes deeply integrate sports with leisure tourism, providing tourists with diverse sports and leisure scenarios.

 

 

04 Wisdom Hub · The Key lies in breaking through the deadlock

With multiple firsts making their debut, Guangzhou has truly stood out

 

GITF has always been a barometer of innovation in the global travel industry. This year, it has focused more on "potential tracks" and launched a series of innovative and exclusive experiences. At the exhibition site, the "66-degree Adventure Cruise Ship", jointly developed by Guangdong Tourism Holding Group, Port and Shipping Group and leading enterprises in the industry, will make its debut. The "Sea God" cruise ship, the world's first cruise ship specially customized for polar exploration under its umbrella, has attracted much attention. This small boutique cruise ship with a capacity of only 150 passengers, with its flexibility and professionalism, can venture deep into the fjords of the North and South Poles, providing tourists with an exclusive experience of polar exploration.

 

GITF also noticed the travel "essential need" of the elderly and provided them with a display stage for the first time. The final of the "Silk Road Silver Age · Dance Guangzhou" square dance competition, hosted by the Organizing committee of the Guangzhou International Travel Fair, was held during the exhibition. With the theme of "Road", this mass event featuring multiple teams from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has transformed square dancing into a cultural bridge, allowing senior dancers to showcase their vitality and creativity and break down age barriers with their passion.

 

This year, "Cultural and Tourism Innovators" have made a big move, collaborating with the scientific team of Shitanji, a leading figure in China's scientific research, and its founder, Dr. Chen Rui, a biologist from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to create a global ecological corridor. The exhibition area will present in-depth tourism content of Malaysia, the Amazon, Madagascar, Kenya and Sri Lanka. On-site creative check-in and you will have the chance to win the 3D scene book "Enter the Amazon Science Popularization 3D Book - Point-and-Read Edition" that recreates the real Amazon rainforest.

 

 

05 Wisdom Hub · Emphasis on Driving

Global experts gather to look forward to the future of tourism

 

At this year's tourism exhibition, five major theme forums cover core contents such as outbound transformation, inbound breakthrough, study and research innovation, cultural and museum revitalization, and value tourism. More than 50 industry leaders and experts have been invited to discuss the future trends of the industry, thereby deepening the connection and collision of ideas and further understanding the global cultural and tourism ecosystem.

 

On the afternoon of May 15th, the China Outbound Tourism Forum, with the theme of "Reshaping Outbound Tourism: Sustainable Connection and Value Co-creation" - Future Travel from Eco-Friendliness to Cultural Symbiosis, gathered top industry experts, directly addressed industry pain points, and explored future opportunities.

 

Peter Semone, the president of the Asia Pacific Travel Association (PATA), gave a lecture titled "Echoes of Extinction: Will the Tourism Industry in the Asia-Pacific Region Learn from the Dodo?" ; Zoritsa Urosevic, the Executive Director of the United Nations Tourism Organization, presented "The United Nations Tourism Organization Initiative: Promoting Better Development of Global Tourism"; Professor Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Executive Director of the Center for Meaningful Travel and CEO of COTRI, China Outbound Travel Research Institute, expressed "How to Respond to Changing Customer Demands and Global Challenges in a Meaningful Way?" .

 

Besides, Dr. Peter Jeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the China-Eu Commission, Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board, and Santosh Panta, Director of the Nepal Tourism Board, were with Richard, Manager of the International Relations Department of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Under the leadership of Matuzevich, explore "Practical Paths for Sustainable Outbound Tourism"; Catherine Germier, CEO of Millennium Destinations, Sudarshan Chapagain, Vice President of Soaltee Hotel Group, and Natalya Borisovna, Minister of Tourism of the Primorsky Krai of Russia Naboichenko and Teresa Siles Suarez, the tourism counselor of the Consulate General of Spain in Guangzhou, discussed "Deep Cultural Connectivity and the Construction of Regional Tourism Ecosystems" under the auspices of Victor Xu, the chief representative of the Tourism Bureau of Saxony, Germany in China. Finally, the highly prestigious "CTW Welcome Chinese Tourists Award", initiated and organized by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), was also grandly announced at the forum.

The second GITF2025 study Tour theme Forum with the theme of "Jointly Initiating a New Chapter of Study Tours" was also held concurrently. Dr. Wu Xiaoxia, an expert from the think tank of the Guangzhou Study Tour Practice Association, first delivered a keynote speech titled "Breaking the Homogenization: How the Curriculumization of Study Tours Reshaps Tourism Competitiveness". Yu Li, a representative of the Permanent Secretariat of the Hong Kong and Macao Youth Mainland Study Tour Alliance, shared his views on the speech theme of "Jointly Initiating a New Chapter of Study Tours: Resource Integration and Opportunity Sharing of the Hong Kong and Macao Youth Mainland Study Tour Alliance". Xing Daiqi, the marketing specialist of the Beijing office of the Polish Tourism Board, delivered a keynote speech titled "IP Creation in Study Tours: Poland Leveraging Chopin's Music Tour to Tap into China's Cultural and Tourism Market". From the cultural tourism monetization code of the Polish Chopin music IP, to the ecological research and study model led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and then to the in-depth empowerment of the identity recognition of teenagers in Hong Kong and Macao - deconstructing trends with top-level thinking and reshaping logic with practical cases.

Subsequently, industry experts such as Li Xieju, Executive President of the Guangdong Travel Agency Industry Association, Liu Xiaofeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Macao Travel Agency Association, Li Jingwen, Chairperson of the Alumni Presidents' Association of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Zhuo Yousen, Executive Director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Study Travel Research Institute, engaged in an in-depth dialogue on "Empowering the Growth of Hong Kong and Macao Youth with Cultural Identity". Another group of guests shared their practical experiences on "Innovative Cooperation and Sustainable Development of Study and Research Resource Linkage from a Global Perspective".

On May 16th, there will also be an inbound tourism theme forum titled "Trends in Inbound Tourism from a Global Perspective" and the first GITF theme forum on "Meaningful Tourism". On May 17th, GITF2025 will present a "Bringing Heritage to Life Live" sharing session to echo the theme of International Museum Day 2025, "The Future of Museums in a Rapidly Changing Society", which is highly anticipated.

 

 

06 Wisdom Hub · Emphasis on Integration

"Hoard" travel and expand the global vacation map

 

Guangzhou is one of the first batch of national demonstration cities for cultural and tourism consumption, and its innovative practices in cultural and tourism consumption continue to thrive. In Guangzhou, "stockpiling" tourism is not only popular during "Double 11", "618" and various live-streaming rooms, but even earlier, the "Guangzhou International Travel Fair" was an important channel for local people to learn about and "stock up" on tourism products. With the increase in tourism demand, the diversity of tourism products in Guangzhou, as well as the abundance of packages and redemption methods, have made visiting tourism exhibitions a unique and romantic way to open up the global vacation map. "Stocking up on travel" has increasingly become one of the mainstream tourism consumption patterns for the local people every year.

 

As the pioneer of "hoarding tourism", the Guangzhou Tourism Exhibition has welcomed many cultural and tourism enterprises this year, including Guangdong China Travel Service, Guangzhou Travel Service, Kanghui, Ctrip, Canton Tower, China Southern Airlines, Guangzhou Xinhua, Guangdong Provincial Arts and Crafts Treasures Museum, Yixingyuan Culture and Tourism, Xingfu Home, Mingyang Holidays, Guinness World Records, Xiangyu Culture and Tourism, Xincheng Business Travel, Guangzhou Gifts, and Zai Culture and Tourism. The animation industry in Guangdong Province will also create a trendy cultural tourism consumption experience zone on site, listing a vast array of tourism products, offering multiple discounts, and bringing the latest interactive experiences. The scene of panic buying at the exhibition was "booming", and all tourism agencies were full of vitality. This year's tourism products brought more new supplies that adapted to the changes in tourists' structure and travel habits.