- Travel industry leaders gathered in Abu Dhabi for Trip.com Group's Global Partner Summit, celebrating a year of strong growth marked by a 70% year-on-year increase in Asia-Pacific bookings.
- Trip.com Group announces a strategic partnership with summit host city Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism to showcase the destination's global appeal
ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 19, 2024 -- Opportunities, collaboration, and future growth took centre stage at Trip.com Group's annual Global Partner Summit, where over 2,000 industry leaders, including representatives from accommodation providers, airlines, attractions and tour operators, tourism boards, and the media, gathered to envision the future of travel. With the theme 'A Shared Journey to a Better World', the summit was held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and provided a forum for stakeholders to come together to celebrate the industry's resilience, reflect on its achievements, and chart a collective path towards future success.
"In recent years, the travel industry has faced immense challenges. By working together, we have not only overcome these, but emerged stronger, and with renewed innovative vigour," said Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group. "This year's summit celebrates the spirit of unity and collaboration that drives us to create new opportunities and underpins our collective efforts towards a brighter future. Together with our partners, we are paving the way for travel to inspire and connect, and making strides towards a better world."
Celebrating Progress and Creating Opportunities
The summit highlighted the remarkable progress made by the travel industry in 2024. Trip.com Group data indicates that hotel and flight bookings have grown by over 60% year-on-year, reflecting robust global demand. The Asia-Pacific region demonstrated particularly strong performance, with a more than 70% year-on-year increase in overall bookings, while international flight bookings across Asia almost doubled compared to last year's volumes.
Trip.com Group has further solidified its leadership, including through partnerships with airlines such as Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, and has earned recognition from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with its GoGlobal certification, the industry's gold standard. In the accommodation sector, Trip.com Group supports 1.7 million hotel partners worldwide, leveraging technology to drive growth, including through Trip.Best, its hotel review ranking system, which delivered an over 20% increase in traffic for participating properties.
To further enhance the travel ecosystem and meet growing traveller demand for experiences, Trip.com Group is transforming the way attractions and activities are accessed and booked. The Open API Platform, based on the OCTO standard, streamlines connectivity for suppliers, eliminating the need for complex integrations and making it easier for customers to discover and book attractions, tours, and experiences. This innovation simplifies operations for partners while providing travellers with a seamless booking experience.
Trip.Biz, the corporate travel arm of Trip.com Group, also showed strong global momentum. In the Asia-Pacific region, innovative solutions like the globally available Trip.Biz VCC payment system, as well as a 135% increase in hotel coverage, contributed to a 53% year-on-year growth in clients. These achievements reflect how Trip.com Group's commitments to collaboration and innovation are enhancing global travel ecosystems and driving growth across all sectors.
Driving Sustainability and Innovation
In line with its vision of building a better world through travel, Trip.com Group reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability with initiatives that promote eco-conscious travel and community development. For instance, the Trip.com Group Country Retreats Project supports local social and economic development through investments in high-end eco-tourism accommodation in rural regions. To date, the 34 retreats have boosted local economies, created sustainable employment opportunities, and set new benchmarks for eco-conscious tourism. The project was also recently recognised in the UN Global Compact's ESG 20 Report, highlighting Trip.com Group's pioneering role in advancing sustainable growth for the travel and tourism industry.
Trip.com Group has made strides in promoting more sustainable travel practices, including the introduction of innovative travel products and carbon-saving solutions that reduced travel-related emissions by over 260,000 tons in 2024. Working with partners, Trip.com Group is also leading industry-wide action, including through its Low-Carbon Hotel Initiative, which encourages the integration of renewable energy solutions such as photovoltaic solar panels, saving costs and improving efficiency for participating hotels. Since November 2024, Trip.com has featured "Certified Sustainable" labels for properties certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body, making it easier for travellers to identify and book eco-friendly options.
"Creating positive, lasting value for customers, partners, communities, and the environment lies at the heart of our mission," said James Liang, Chairman of Trip.com Group. "From pioneering a family-friendly workplace, to promoting travel practices that support social and economic development, we are working with stakeholders worldwide to build a more resilient, connected, and sustainable future for travel."
Forging Strategic Partnerships
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