导语：COITM2026 Opening Speech Ms Qing Qinghui, Founder of COITM14th Oct 2026
Distinguished guests, colleagues from the tourism industry, and Media friends:
Good morning, everyone! I am Qing Qinghui from COITM.
"Since ancient times, autumn has been seen as a time of loneliness and desolation, but I say autumn is better than spring." In this golden October, we gather in Beijing. Standing here at this moment, my heart is filled with gratitude—gratitude for this industry's twenty-one years of companionship, and gratitude for this long-awaited reunion. Today, 2026 COITM Inbound & Outbound Travel Trade Show officially opens here. A warm welcome to all of you!
As tourism professionals, we know well that China's inbound and outbound tourism market is currently undergoing a profound structural transformation, entering a new stage from "scale expansion" to "quality leap." On the outbound travel side, the market is moving from recovery growth toward structural optimization. Consumers are making more flexible decisions and are more inclined to invest their budgets in high-quality, niche, in-depth immersive cultural experiences. On the inbound travel side, thanks to the continued expansion of visa-free policies and payment facilitation, the source market structure is becoming increasingly diverse, destinations are continually expanding to lower-tier areas, and overseas tourists' demand for "deeply immersive" Chinese-style experiences is higher than ever before.
It is precisely at such an industry juncture that COITM, with the theme "Reinvigorating China Outbound, Revitalising China Inbound” and the positioning of "gathering global emerging, high-end, and niche travel destination resources," is committed to building a precise and efficient B2B supply-demand matching platform for global tourism professionals in Beijing.
For this exhibition, we are very pleased to welcome 180 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions. We are very honored to have invited the Russian National Tourism Development Center and more than 30 Russian tourism suppliers to participate, bringing high-quality local resources that will further enrich the product supply for travel to Russia in the Chinese market. At the same time, we are very excited to welcome the participation of brand-new destinations such as Morocco, Mauritius, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, and the Ionian Islands; in addition, our old friends the Tunisian National Tourism Office, the Belgrade Tourism Board, and the Belarusian Tourism Board have, as always, supported this exhibition. Most importantly, I would like to express deep respect to Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for bringing 7 enterprises to participate!
Meanwhile, we expect to welcome more than 2,000 professional visitors and buyers from across the country, as well as 300 overseas tour operators from 50 countries around the world to visit and procure. Among them, 240 buyers and 180 exhibitors have made more than 3000 business appointment bookings in advance. Over the next three days, we look forward to in-depth exchanges between participating industry professionals and each exhibitor, and to exploring all kinds of business cooperation possibilities. Many exhibitors have traveled thousands of miles to come to China for the first time, precisely in the hope of meeting and joining hands with Chinese tourism professionals.
In parallel with the exhibition, the "COITM Conference" will also be held here. We have invited more than 40 domestic and international industry leaders to share practical insights over three days. The conference topics will cover: new opportunities in emerging destinations, in-depth travel in Russia, customized travel, and changes in inbound and outbound demand and the industry landscape. We are especially honored that our old friend Mr. Zhong Hui, Chairman of Shangyouhui Cultural Tourism, will organize four industry leaders to hold a heavyweight thematic discussion this morning. Please be sure not to miss it. At the same time, we are also honored to have invited leading enterprises such as U-tour and HCG Travel Group to speak on site.
In addition to the main venue, we have also set up a "Tourism Destination Presentation" meeting room in another area, where more than 10 national tourism boards will give presentations. This is to showcase emerging, high-end, and niche travel destination resources from the supply side, provide participants with a more intuitive understanding of destination product features, and help facilitate industry exchange and cooperation.
Over the past few months, we have also worked deeply with the Beijing Chaoyang District Culture and Tourism Bureau to create the "2026 Inbound & Outbound Cultural Tourism Festival" outside the exhibition hall. This provides a valuable opportunity for overseas and domestic tourism destination countries and suppliers to conduct brand promotion, product sales, experiential marketing, and emotional connection-building with consumers.
The opening of COITM this time is, for me personally, for the team, and for our partners, nothing less than a "college entrance examination" we have experienced together; and the COITM presented before you today is precisely the answer sheet we solemnly submit to the industry after 16 months of preparation. Fortunately, at the moment of submission, all of you are here to witness it! Looking back on more than a year of preparation, although we have been treading on thin ice, we have always held reverence in our hearts and kept our eyes on the stars. We long to use the power of a commercial exhibition to closely gather domestic and international tourism resources and, amid the ever-changing industry transformation, contribute a modest yet steadfast value to the development of China's inbound and outbound tourism industry.
When efforts are pooled, nothing cannot be overcome; when collective wisdom is applied, nothing cannot be achieved. The smooth opening of this COITM would not have been possible without the full support and concerted collaboration of all parties. Here, I would like to especially thank the China Tourism Academy, the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, and the Beijing Chaoyang District Culture and Tourism Bureau for their guidance and support of this exhibition; thank the National Agricultural Exhibition Center for the solid guarantees it has provided for the exhibition; and also extend sincere gratitude to the national tourism boards, embassies and consulates, and all exhibitors participating in the exhibition for your trust and support! In addition, to the industry professionals and buyers visiting COITM, and to our friends from the media, thank you for coming! It is precisely because of this "two-way journey" with you that COITM can become a solid bridge connecting global emerging travel destinations with the Chinese market and promoting communication between overseas travel agents and China's inbound tourism resources.
Once again, thank you all. I look forward to meeting you here again in mid-October next year!
