Ctrip and Sicily Boost Tourism Co-operation with Strategic Partnership
07 Août 2019 - 5:14AM
Ctrip, the largest online travel agency in Asia today announced a
strategic partnership with Sicily that promises to bring a bigger
share of the world’s largest outbound tourism market to the
Mediterranean island.
In the presence of Michele Geraci,
Undersecretary of State for International Trade and Investment
Attraction at the Ministry of Economic Development, Ctrip Chief
Marketing Officer Bo Sun, the Region of
Sicily, represented by Gaetano
Armao, Regional Councilor for Economy and Vice-President
of the Region of Sicily, and Lucia Di Fatta,
General Director of the Regional Department of Tourism, Sport and
Entertainment, on behalf of Councilor Manlio
Messina, exchanged letters of mutual appreciation and
support for a strategic partnership between Ctrip and the local
industry, represented by Alessandro Albanese,
President of Sicindustria and Francesco Picarella,
President of Confcommercio Sicilia.
Tourism is a vital aspect of Italy-China bilateral co-operation.
Italy is already one of the most popular destinations in Europe for
Chinese visitors and continues to attract more visitors every year.
In first half of 2019, according to Ctrip data, hotel reservations
in Italy experienced a year-on-year growth of 200%, making Italy
the top destination for Chinese tourists in Europe.
In 1787, The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe famously
said, “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have
seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything”. Sicily is
adored by Italian and foreign visitors alike, but has to date been
relatively obscure on Chinese itineraries. According to statistics
from the Region of Sicily, 26,418 Chinese tourists visited the
island in 2018, an increase of 25% compared to 2017. The numbers
recorded are still a very modest percentage of the total 3 million
Chinese arrivals in Italy.
As the 2020 Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism approaches,
Ctrip and Sicily have formalized a partnership to help the island
to untap the potential to attract more Chinese visitors as part of
an effort to develop trade and people-to-people exchange between
China and Italian regions.
With over 300 million users in China, Ctrip has pledged to
allocate its online platforms and media connections to promote
Sicilian tourism destinations and unique local experiences to the
Chinese high-end outbound tourism market, from seaside resorts and
medical spas, to food and wine tours; art and history itineraries,
such as the Segesta and Selinunte archaeological parks and the
Valley of the Temples of Agrigento; natural tracks such as skiing
on Etna Volcano and diving in Ustica; and, even local events,
including the Taormina film festival and the Carnival of
Acireale.
Against the backdrop of the recent visit by President Xi Jinping
to Palermo on 23rd March 2019, today’s strategic partnership lays
strong foundations to untap the potential of Sicily as a promising
tourism destination for the Chinese market.
An increase in the number of high-end Chinese tourists coming to
the island promises to bring important benefits for the local
economy. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism
Council, the total contribution of tourism to the economy in 2017
was 223.2 billion euros, equivalent to 13% of GDP, a number which
is three percentage points higher than the European and world
average. Over 3.4 million jobs, or 14.7% of the country’s total
employment were directly and indirectly generated by tourism in
2017. Chinese tourists are known to be among the highest spending
international travelers, with an average daily consumption of €930,
and up €1600 for the wealthiest Chinese tourists, and stand to
bring significant stimulus to local businesses.
“We are very excited about this co-operation with Sicily and
look forward to working more closely across the board with the
Italian tourism industry. Italy is already one of the most popular
destinations for the growing Chinese outbound tourism market. In
2017, Chinese tourists contributed USD 258 billion to the global
economy, and in 2018, 150 million Chinese tourists travelled
overseas. From restaurants to local artisans, all areas of the
local Sicilian economy will gain from being a part of this massive
trend. As the 2020 Year of Tourism and Culture between China and
Italy fast approaches, there are vast opportunities for imaginative
destination marketing solutions, we can’t wait to bring more
Chinese tourists to Sicily and experience all that this beautiful
region has to offer.” said Bo Sun, Chief Marketing
Officer of Ctrip.
“The signing of these agreements between Ctrip, Sicindustria and
Confcommercio Sicilia in the tourism sector”, declared
Undersecretary of State Michele Geraci,
“represents a visible result of the thriving China-Italy
relationship. Sicily is preparing to receive in the coming years a
growing flow of Chinese tourists, which will be a small but
important driver for the industry of Sicily and the South of Italy.
Last year saw a significant increase in the number of foreign
tourists: Sicily went from 3.7 million foreign visitors in 2017 to
4.5 million in 2018 (+ 21.9%), that is the largest share in the
entire South of Italy. With reference to the expenditure of foreign
tourists, there is a growing trend between 2017 and 2018, both in
Sicily (+ 12.7%) and generally in the South of Italy (+ 8.8%), in
any case higher than the growth recorded in the Center-North (+
6.1%). In addition to tourism, we are also promoting our agri-food
and industrial sectors, synergetic sectors with tourism as often
emphasized by Minister Centinaio, with a particular eye to both
small and medium enterprises, which I want to emphasize, represent
over 99% of the Italian entrepreneurial system, and more important
production sites. The objective is to promote investments which can
create jobs in the South of Italy and, thanks to this agreement, in
Sicily in particular.”
_____________________
CTRIPCtrip is Asia’s largest online travel agency, with a
revenue of RMB 31 billion (2018), 300 million users, and
a market capitalization of USD 22 billion (listed on NASDAQ
[CTRP] since 2003).
For further information, please contact:International PREmail:
Pr@ctrip.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41165952-86bd-42fa-a828-14c8b69cfe6f
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/18376bc4-8b3e-4b5e-b565-5a029c7c8e01
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