Trip.com Group CEO meets with Italian Minister for Culture and Tourism

ROME,Jan. 23,2020 -- Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun recently met with Italian Minister for Culture and Tourism Mr. Dario Franceschini in the capital of Rome to discuss opportunities for further collaboration in the tourism sector.

The pair's discussion ranged from co-operation in streamlining visa issuance to improving destination visibility through marketing,and strengthening partnerships with the local industry. For the leading international OTA headquartered in China,with 300 million users on its platforms in the country,the talks additionally opened up possibilities for collaboration with Italy in the 2020 Sino-Italian Year of Culture and Tourism.

Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun (left) meets with Italian Minister for Culture and Tourism Mr. Dario Franceschini (right).

Building on a series of partnerships,ranging from the Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT) to regional agreements with Sicily,Tuscany,Umbria and industry collaborations with FIAVET,Federturismo Confindustria,Trenitalia,Rome Airport,Milan Airport,and Museo Ferrari,the talks usher in a new phase for integrated collaboration between the country and the leading OTA,serving over 400 million users worldwide via its platforms.

According to Trip.com Group statistics,most travelers prefer longer in-depth trips to Italy,with 45% of travelers spending between 8-14 days in the country. 65% of travelers choose 4 star hotels or above,and spend an average of more RMB 10,000 (EUR 1,300) on flights and accommodation alone.

While most holiday itineraries continue to include tourist hotspots such as Rome,Milan,Florence,Venice and Naples,Trip.com Group will continue to work with Italy to improve the visibility of less-travelled destinations. Building upon existing partnerships with local governments,tourism boards and industry,Trip.com Group aims to integrate its platforms with in-destination services,such as restaurant reviews and bookings,things-to-do,and shopping. The partners also engaged in initial discussions regarding the possibilities of streamlined visa applications for VIP and corporate users on its platforms.

Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun (right) meets with Undersecretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Cultural and Tourism Lorenza Bonaccorsi (left)

Following the meeting with Minister Franceschini,Ms. Sun also met with Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MIBACT) Ms. Lorenza Bonaccorsi to further discussions,in the margin of the official inauguration of the Italy-China Culture and Tourism Year.

"Tourism is an important asset for the Italian economy,accounting for 13% of Italy's GDP and employing 4.2 million people," said Undersecretary of State Ms. Bonaccorsi. "We welcome all efforts of Trip.com Group to bring Chinese tourists-- a growing source of International tourism-- to explore lesser-known destinations and boost new forms of cultural and experiential tourism."

"Italy is such a unique destination,and we're excited to be building upon our strong partnerships here to offer better services to our customers,and to help Italy's less-travelled but equally noteworthy destinations to share their charm with the world," said Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun. "We look forward to working more closely together with Italy to deliver the perfect travel experience to our customers."

About Trip.com Group:

Trip.com Group is a leading one-stop travel service provider comprising of Trip.com,Ctrip,Skyscanner,and Qunar. Across its platforms,Trip.com Group enables local partners and travelers around the world to make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services,through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related information and resources,and an advanced transaction platform consisting of mobile apps,Internet websites and 24/7 customer service centers. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003,Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel brands in the world,with the mission of 'making every trip the perfect trip'.

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