Trip.com Group chairman James Liang meets Bulgarian Minister of Tourism, Stela Baltova, to boost Group's European cooperation amid global travel recovery

SINGAPORE,July 23,2021 -- On 21 July,Trip.com Group chairman and co-founder,James Liang,met with Bulgarian Minister of Tourism,Stela Baltova,to discuss further cooperation between the leading travel service provider and rising destination Bulgaria. The meeting took place at Ministry of Tourism in Sofia,Bulgaria,and focused on areas of collaboration and opportunities for expansion between the two parties to promote the return of outbound tourism to the Balkan Black Sea destination.

As the parent company of Trip.com,Ctrip,Skyscanner and Qunar,Trip.com Group supports destination partners in growing their audience reach,and enhancing destination partner marketing proficiencies to build recognition and drive inbound tourism.

"Bulgaria is a unique destination with a rich history and culture,and we're excited to build on our relationship," said James Liang,chairman and co-founder of Trip.com Group. "With Trip.com Group's global supply chain and strong brand partnerships,we are in a great position to help European destination partners' leverage our platform and audience to support their growth."

"It was fantastic to meet with Mr. Liang to discuss potential cooperation with Trip.com Group and further expedite areas of collaboration," said Bulgarian Minister of Tourism,Stela Baltova. "We look forward to working together to promote and boost Bulgaria as a global travel destination,inviting global travellers to experience all that our wonderful country and thriving tourism sector has to offer."

The meeting strengthens previous engagements and cooperation between both parties. In 2019,Trip.com CEO,Jane Sun,met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to seek mutual contributions to the tourism industries of both China and Bulgaria,while also voicing hope that Trip.com Group and Bulgaria will continue to work together and promote cooperation in the travel industry.

Greater numbers of Chinese tourists travelled to Central and Eastern European countries in 2019,and according to Trip.com Groups statistics,represented a three-digit growth over same period in 2018. In the first half of 2019,the bookings for vacations to Bulgaria on Trip.com Group increased 500% year-on-year. 89% of those travellers spent more than seven days in Bulgaria,showing that in-depth cultural trips to Bulgaria was gaining in popularity. With strong pre-pandemic travel figures,and Europe showing signs of recovery,there is strong potential for Bulgaria to capture pent-up travel demand.

Utilising its strong brand portfolio and global network,Trip.com Group is strategically developing its presence across Europe and supporting destination partners in preparation for the revitalization of global travel.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com,Skyscanner,and Qunar. Across its platforms,Trip.com Group enables local partners and travellers 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,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".