Travel market to help tourism destinations take off

The 2026 China Outbound and Inbound Travel Market will be held from Oct 14 to 16 at the National Agricultural Exhibition Center in Beijing. The event aims to connect overseas tourism providers with China's outbound tourism companies and help Chinese tourism destinations promote inbound travel and work with overseas partners.

Meanwhile, the COITM and Beijing Chaoyang District Bureau of Culture and Tourism recently announced plans to collaborate on an outdoor travel and culture carnival from Oct 14 to 17 at the venue. While the first three days are dedicated to professional B2B business matchmaking and negotiation, the last day will be open to the public.

About 200 exhibitors from across China and other countries, including Uzbekistan, South Africa and Russia, will attend, along with tourism authorities, embassies and consulates, attractions, local service providers, airlines, and hotel groups. It is estimated that the event will bring together more than 3,000 domestic and international tourism professionals and buyers.

Exhibitors from these popular and emerging destinations will showcase and promote their rich tourism resources, culture, arts, local customs, and cultural and tourism products.

The outdoor event will feature a variety of performances throughout the day, including singing, dancing, and Chinese intangible cultural heritage performances. Meanwhile, major travel agencies will offer discounted travel products on-site, ranging from tour packages and flight tickets to cultural creative products.

For overseas destinations, this event will serve as an ideal window into what truly appeals to Chinese tourists. Local residents will be able to explore various destinations to make their travel plans and enjoy colorful performances.

Guo Xun, head of the Chaoyang District Culture and Tourism Bureau, says the innovative integration of a professional trade exhibition and an outdoor event aims to build a communication platform for overseas tourism destinations, global tourism suppliers and service providers, domestic cultural and tourism enterprises, and local residents.

Qing Qinghui, founder of the COITM, says that, with local government support, the COITM will create greater value for all participants. The COITM will also continuously introduce quality resources from global destinations, with the aim of building an effective B2B platform and fueling the sound development of China's travel and tourism sector.