Trip.com Group launches "2023 Gourmet Top Global Restaurant List"

The list covers over 6,000 restaurants in China and the Silk Road region,paving the way for a food-led travel recovery

HONG KONG,July 19,2023 -- Trip.com Group (9961.HK,TCOM.US) recently launched "2023 Trip.com Group Gourmet Top Global Restaurant List" at The Parisian Macao,China. The list includes over 6,000 restaurants,covering 67 cities in China and nine popular overseas travel destinations. The list will continue to collect overseas gourmet options throughout the year and is expected to eventually cover 100 cities worldwide.

Speech by Bo Sun,Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Trip.com Group

Food is becoming an increasingly important part of travel,and tourists are starting to include local cuisine as a criterion for choosing their destination. Searching for delicacies has become an essential part of travel.As global travel continue to grow,Trip.com Group Gourmet Global Restaurant List is once again expanding its reach to overseas markets,with a total of 33 featured restaurants in popular travel destinations such as Bangkok,Singapore,Ho Chi Minh City,Kuala Lumpur,and Tokyo. Bo Sun,Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Trip.com Group,said,"Trip.com Group Gourmet presents a variety of cuisine that can satisfy the taste buds of travellers and heat up the tourism industry in more cities."

Nine overseas cities featured for the first time in the list are all popular areas along the maritime and land Silk Road. As an important channel for economic and trade exchanges between ancient China and other regions of the world,the Silk Road has had a profound influence on the food systems of both East and West for thousands of years,and the collision of distinctive food cultures along the route has created a diverse culinary experience. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative,Trip.com Group Gourmet has selected Dubai in the United Arab Emirates,Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam,Kuala Lumpur and Sabah in Malaysia,Luang Prabang in Laos,Manila in the Philippines,Bangkok in Thailand,Bali in Indonesia,and Singapore as the nine destinations,aiming to deepen the connection between tourists and the destinations and help countries along the Belt and Road to revive tourism.

Bo Sun said: "This year,with the recovery of inbound and outbound tourism,the list is based on the core concept of 'food without borders,culture promotes communication',and has extended its reach to overseas destinations with high travel enthusiasm and strong food attributes. Currently,Trip.com Group Gourmet covers restaurant in 135,000 cities globally,and we hope to connect more tourists through food."

The restaurants on this year's Trip.com Group Gourmet list were comprehensively based on five judging criteria: food quality,service level,environment,heritage and innovation,and local characteristics. A total of nine Black Diamond restaurants,53 Diamond restaurants,250 Platinum restaurants,and over 5,800 Gold and Silver restaurants were selected in 67 cities in China and nine overseas cities. Among them,there are many hidden local delicacies in small-scale restaurants that have been passed down through the generations and mastered dishes cooked with innovative techniques. Trip.com Group Gourmet is committed to promoting such "little-known Chinese cuisine" to more users and recommend the local flavours to more visitors through the extensive network and expertise of Trip.com Group in the travel sector

"We have a strong foundation in destinations,hotels,and attractions,in-depth understanding of local cultures,and insights into the global gourmet industry trends based on Trip.com Group's global vision and our significant experience in the travel business.Meanwhile,the list's level of professionalism continues to rise.We have expanded our team of honorary advisers this year to include members of regional food and beverage associations,hotel chains,culinary associations,worldwide gastronomic associations,and gourmets," Bo Sun added.

Trip.com Group Gourmet has gain traction since the launch of its gourmet content on Trip.com earlier this year. To date,the number of views of the content has increased more than 13-fold since the beginning of the year. Next,Trip.com will be introducing a gourmet booking function,allowing overseas travellers to easily experience Chinese cuisine and discover the stories behind destinations through their own taste buds. Amid the recovery of inbound tourism,the list will be published on both Ctrip and Trip.com in an effort to introduce Chinese cuisine to the world and boost global travel.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com,Ctrip,Skyscanner,and Qunar. Across its platforms,Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources,and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps,websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021,Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world,with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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