BEIJING, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China Daily:

At the Quehua Ecological and Cultural Zone in Jinan Start-up Area for Growth Drivers Transformation, Shandong Province, French youth RIVOIRE Oceane Anna, along with her peers, tried her hand at paper-cutting, successfully crafting the Chinese characters for “nian nian you yu,” a traditional auspicious phrase symbolizing abundance and surplus.

“This was my first time trying paper-cutting. It’s amazing how traditional Chinese culture can be condensed into this single red paper-cut artwork,” said RIVOIRE Oceane Anna.

The cultural experience activity was part of the “Opportunity China: Global Gen Z Views on Jinan 2025″ event held from October 30 to November 1, during which over 200 participants, including youth representatives from France, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia and South Korea, alongside Chinese university students gathered in Jinan which is dubbed the Spring City.

They explored the city’s rapid development under the national strategy of ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin and immersed themselves in the city’s profound cultural heritage.

“The ‘Cooperation Opportunity List’ proposed by the Jinan Start-up Area precisely addresses corporate needs. It transforms trust-based partnerships into an open, transparent, and opportunity-filled invitation for collaboration,” said Singaporean youth Goh Rui Fan during the event. “This ‘bridge to the future’ connects Singapore’s expertise in park operations and green technology with Shandong’s vibrant innovation and vast market potential.”

The foreign youth delegation conducted an in-depth tour of the Start-up Area. At the Quehua ecological and cultural zone, they donned Song Dynasty-style Hanfu and learned willow weaving and paper-cutting from intangible cultural heritage inheritors.

Aboard an L4-level intelligent connected bus, they experienced a smooth 15-kilometer ride on open roads with no human intervention, showcasing Jinan’s advanced green transportation.

“It’s incredibly smooth. I hadn’t realized Jinan’s green transportation was already this advanced,” said Myradov Maksat from Turkmenistan.

Famous for its springs, Jinan presented its iconic Baotu Spring at a high-water level, recreating the picturesque scene of “clear springs flowing over stones,” which drew repeated admiration from the young delegates.

At Daming Lake, they listened to Shandong clapper ballads, experiencing this audible intangible heritage. Many tried playing the clappers and speaking the Shandong dialect, fully immersing themselves in the local culture.

“In Jinan, I see Chinese-style green wisdom,” said Indonesian youth Veldesen Yaputra.

“The flowing springs represent not just ecological balance but also cultural continuity. It turns out ‘sustainability’ isn’t just about technology, but a life attitude—flowing from the past to the future, constantly nourishing the world like the spring water,” said Veldesen Yaputra.

• This strategic partnership will position Türkiye as a Super Destination for global travellers.
• Türkiye’s inbound flight bookings up 38% and hotel bookings up 16% on Trip.com Group, led by strong growth from Asia.
• Collaboration to focus on enhancing connectivity, promoting sustainable travel, and inspiring more travellers to explore Türkiye’s diverse cultural and natural experiences.

ISTANBUL, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Türkiye is taking centre stage as Trip.com Group and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) embark on a new strategic partnership to spotlight the country as a Super Destination for travellers worldwide.

The collaboration aims to showcase the country’s cultural depth, natural beauty, and vibrant experiences to new audiences, particularly across Asia. Interest is already building with Trip.com Group data showing Türkiye’s inbound flight bookings growing by 38% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, with hotel bookings rising 16%, led by top source markets such as the UK, Germany, and China, and a remarkable 178% surge in bookings from Indonesia.

Building Türkiye as a Super Destination

This partnership marks a new chapter in Türkiye’s tourism story, one driven by data, innovation, and collaboration. Trip.com Group and TGA will work hand in hand to strengthen airline connectivity, expand accommodation options, and enhance in-destination offerings, including attractions and tours. Together, they will launch co-branded campaigns designed to inspire travellers to explore Türkiye’s many sides, from the timeless skyline of Istanbul and the dreamlike landscapes of Cappadocia to the beaches of Antalya, the heritage of Izmir, and the flavours of Turkish cuisine.

Trip.com Group will harness its powerful marketing and technology ecosystem to reach millions of potential travellers worldwide. With a focus on Asia-Pacific markets such as the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the initiative aims to strengthen Asia–Europe travel flows and deepen Türkiye’s connection with key outbound markets.

Trip.com Group’s growing presence in Türkiye — including its Istanbul office — reflects the company’s long-term commitment to supporting local partners and empowering the broader tourism ecosystem.

Amanda Wang, Vice President of Global Strategic Partnership & Projects at Trip.com Group, said, “Türkiye is one of those destinations that truly has everything: beauty, culture, history, and an incredible story to tell. This partnership with TGA is about turning that story into meaningful travel experiences. To pursue this vision, we are curating high-end journeys that blend cultural authenticity with digital innovation.

“We’re excited to help more travellers, especially from Asia, discover the magic of Türkiye and to work closely with local partners to drive sustainable growth for the industry.”

Further affirming its star power, Istanbul was named one of Trip.Best’s Top 100 Global Destinations for 2025, underscoring its reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic travel cities.

As the partnership deepens, both sides aim to redefine what destination collaboration can achieve, driving sustainable growth, and enhancing traveller experiences. Trip.com Group is already helping travellers identify GSTC-certified Turkish hotels across its platforms, supporting a shared commitment to responsible and sustainable travel.

Sinan Seha Türkseven, the General Manager of Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, stated, “As the world’s 4th largest incoming tourism market, according to UN Tourism data, we at Türkiye highly value this partnership because we recognise the significant impact Trip.com Group has on the global tourism industry. Türkiye’s tourism destinations provide memorable travel experiences to all visitors. Given our extensive shared history spanning thousands of years, we are particularly enthusiastic about welcoming more Chinese travellers, as we are confident in our ability to offer them the distinctive, exceptional experiences they deserve.”

-END-

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of 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”. Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

Follow us on: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency

Founded on July 15, 2019, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) is dedicated to delivering Türkiye as a brand and a popular destination in both domestic and international tourism markets; discover, develop and promote tangible and intangible natural, cultural, biological and manmade heritage assets; boost the tourism capacity of Türkiye, increase the rate of tourism investments in the national economy and raise the quality of service with short, medium and longterm communication and marketing activities. In line with tourism strategies and policies set by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Agency carries out all promotion, marketing and communication activities to serve Türkiye’s tourism goals, promote and market current tourism opportunities across the globe, as well as discover, improve and establish potential areas of tourism. 

For TGA’s corporate website: www.tga.gov.tr
For Türkiye’s official tourism platform: www.goturkiye.com

SHANGHAI, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from english.shanghai.gov.cn

Business leaders and diplomats convened in Shanghai on Nov 9 for the Potside Chats “CIIE Roundtable: New Horizons” salon to explore opportunities arising from China’s vast consumer market and the China International Import Expo.

Organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and China Daily, the event served as a platform for dialogue, offering insights into China’s evolving consumer trends, business environment, and the global impact of its high-level opening-up.

Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai, emphasized China’s growing consumer demand. “China is at a stage where consumers are ready to shop. That’s why CIIE is so important, to showcase foreign brands, including American brands,” Zheng said, noting a shift in focus towards consumption in China’s development plans.

Highlighting the consistent participation of US companies at the CIIE, Zheng said, “Despite all the political tensions between the two countries, our companies have been here consistently. They see China as a very strategic market for them.”

Oscar Felipe Rueda Plata, commercial counselor of the Embassy of Colombia in China, shared his observations on distinctive Chinese consumer behaviors.

He cited the popularity of “Labubu dolls”, the Zibo barbecue trend, live-streaming commerce, and the Luckin Coffee and Guizhou Moutai collaboration, emphasizing that consumer behavior in China is “unpredictable, emotional, and collective.”

As Colombia participated as a guest of honor country at the CIIE, Rueda Plata said, “This is the first time we have the honor to be the guest country in this exhibition. I always say that this is the 8th edition of the CIIE, and eight in Chinese culture is very important because it means good luck and prosperity. I do believe this is no coincidence, but it’s actually the reflection of the real relationship between both our countries that is strengthening.”

Ivan Kinsella, vice president of Public Relations at Zespri Greater China, pointed to the increasing consumer focus on health and natural nutrition. “This year the trends for us have been more of a continuation of what we’ve seen before. The main one is healthy living and natural nutrition,” Kinsella said.

Discussing the impact of the CIIE on Zespri’s growth, Kinsella noted, “Since the start of CIIE eight years ago, we have more than doubled our sales to China, and we are up to 160,000 tons now.”

Jelena Grubor Stefanovic, director of the Representative Office of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce in China, underscored the importance of the CIIE in building networks and fostering relationships.

“It has been really the key platform that helped me build the network here,” Stefanovic said. “It’s really about building relations with the potential partners in terms of distributors for Serbian products and such with the governments, with the regions.”

She also highlighted Shanghai’s appeal as an entry point for businesses. “It really provides a soft landing to companies here. It’s very international, so the transition phase is very easy if you’re coming first time to China or to Asia in general.”

Mark Kirk, general manager of the Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai, acknowledged CIIE’s significance for the hospitality industry.

“CIIE is probably the most important event that happens in Shanghai for the hospitality industry,” Kirk said, emphasizing the opportunity to showcase the hotel’s services and quality to a diverse international clientele.

Dragana Kostic, vice president of BMW Asia Pacific Technology Center, emphasized the CIIE as a platform for showcasing new technologies and fostering international collaboration.

“BMW is not at the CIIE to sell cars. We are here to show what kind of new technologies we have and especially how we do that,” Kostic said.

Kostic further noted Shanghai’s appeal as a base for the BMW Asia Pacific Technology Center. “It will be based in Shanghai because it is easier for my overseas teams of different nationalities to collaborate and engage with one another here.”