Visitors gather at Trip.com's booth during a tourism expo in Shanghai on May 26. The company has set a target of bringing 200 million overseas visitors to China over the next five years. CHINA DAILY
Trip.com Group will invest 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) over the next five years to promote China as a travel destination globally, betting that a post-pandemic rebound in global travel demand and expanding visa-free access can turn the sector into a major growth driver for both the company and the world's second-largest economy.
The investment — announced on Monday by Liang Jianzhang, co-founder and executive chairman of the board at Trip.com Group, at an industry conference in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region — will fund overseas advertising campaigns, influencer marketing, destination promotions and international partnerships aimed at attracting foreign visitors to China.
The company also set a target of bringing 200 million international visitors to China over the next five years.
"We used to sell Chinese products to the world. Now it is time to sell China's services and experiences to the world," Liang said.
