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Ctrip and Italian Tourism Board Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Boost Sino-Italian Construction

TCOM | March 22, 2019

ROME, March 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Italy, Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip International and Luigi Fiorentino, Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Tourism, signed a strategic cooperation agreement between Ctrip and ENIT. The agreement is an important milestone in the cooperation between the two countries in the field of tourism.

President Xi Jinping’s visit, which promises to set the tone for the future of Sino-Italian bilateral relations, has attracted strong attention from all sides. Italian Economy and Finance Minister Giovanni Tria said that the promotion of business cooperation and political mutual trust between China and Italy is crucial for alleviating world tensions and facilitating global well-being.

Jane Sun said that in response to President Xi Jinping’s call, Ctrip is willing to be a “Marco Polo” of the new era, acting as a bridge of cultural exchange between Italy and China. The simplest and most direct form of diplomacy, tourism helps to build relations between China and the rest of the world.

“Italy has a wealth of history, humanities and natural tourism resources, while China has the largest and most economically powerful group of outbound tourists in the world. We welcome this cooperation with Ctrip, which is the medium through which to showcase the charm of Italy to Chinese tourists,” said Gian Marco Centinaio, Minister of Tourism of Italy.

Ctrip’s cooperation with ENIT will help promote tourist destinations in Italy and as well as Italy’s historical culture, fashion, food and other specialties. The agreement also marks the deepening of comprehensive cooperation between China and Italy.

During the period of President Xi’s visit, Jane Sun also signed a series of strategic cooperation agreements with Italian destinations, tourism associations and other companies, including the Region of Tuscany, Region of Umbria, Rome Capital, FIAVET, FEDERTURISMO, UNINDUSTRIA, Trenitalia, the Rome airport, the Milan airport and the Ferrari museum etc.

While the year 2018 was “China-Europe Tourism Year,” 2019 will present even more opportunities for cooperation between China and Italy. Beneficial for all sides, this agreement will make it even more convenient for the Chinese people to travel in Europe.

Jane Sun noted that Europe has become the second favorite destination for Chinese tourists to take customized tours. Ctrip’s Europe-bound customized travel business is growing rapidly, greatly outpacing overall market growth. Among the most popular European destination countries in 2018, Italy ranked second only to Russia, which ranked first thanks to the FIFA World Cup.

In addition, the cultural and commercial exchanges between the two sides and the continuous improvement of bilateral tourism has made the demand for direct flights between China and Italy more urgent. The realization of Sino-Italian direct flights will further strengthen the relations and exchanges between the two countries, releasing the full potential for all-round communication and cooperation, and allowing the two peoples to better share the dividends of each other’s development.

Looking ahead, Jane Sun predicted, “Ctrip will take advantage of development opportunities to make full use of its platform, resources and big data capabilities to deliver more tourists to European partners, Italy foremost among them. We also help Chinese tourists to broaden their horizons with trips abroad, and become a bridge for Sino-European economic and trade contact, cultural exchanges and civil diplomacy.”

About Ctrip.com International,Ltd.
Ctrip.com International,Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management inChina. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets inChinain terms of transaction volume. Ctrip enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related information and offering its services through an advanced transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps,Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center. Ctrip also helps customers’ book vacation packages and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China.

For further information, please contact:
Ctrip PR
pr@ctrip.com

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