Trip.com Group partners with UK, Italy to spearhead travel recovery

SINGAPORE, July 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading international travel services provider Trip.com Group has observed indications that the travel industry is well on the way to recovery.

With the pandemic being gradually brought under control in the Asia-Pacific region, the international travel services provider has observed encouraging signs of recovery for domestic and regional travel. In a number of countries in the region, accommodation reservations have virtually recovered to pre-pandemic volumes, while flight bookings continue to pick up steadily.

Innovation, assurance and responsibility have been at the core of the company’s COVID-19 response and recovery plan, says Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun. “The changes in the international landscape demand innovation, industry unity and a customer-centric approach,” said Sun.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01dc4a2b-366e-4be2-90eb-44ba5e26677f

Following the launch of its “Travel On” initiative in June, the company introduced a range of measures and innovations to revitalize travel, including the all-new “Trip.com LIVE” series of in-destination livestreams. Engaging audiences in various locales weekly, the campaign offering users significant discounts on flexible advance booking vouchers for premium accommodation has enjoyed widespread success.

To date, the series has broadcasted to local audiences of tens of thousands in Japan, Korea, Thailand and Singapore, achieving total sales of around USD 3 million. Each hour-long session generated over USD 100,000 in sales, while one session in Japan alone saw over USD 600,000 worth of reservations made.

“Conceived at the height of the pandemic, when travellers were locked up in their own homes, as a way to experience the destinations they love and start thinking about their next trips, Trip.com LIVE has evolved from a regional experiment into an international success, and although international travel is off the cards in the immediate future, we believe that as it becomes safe and practical to travel again, innovations like this create exciting opportunities for the future of travel,” said Sun.

With short-distance travel in the Asia-Pacific showing indications of recovery, destinations and governments across the world are making moves towards opening up travel in stages, starting with domestic tourism. Recently, governments of the United Kingdom and Italy have expressed interest in working more closely with Trip.com Group to revitalize travel.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/809e64a6-839e-45cf-8bbb-cb8cba6fd930

In a recent meeting, Italian Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari highlighted the importance of the country’s partnership with Trip.com Group in opening up international travel. “We’re already working to revive the flow of international tourism to Italy,” said Ferrari. “Although the Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism has been postponed until 2022 due to the pandemic, we intend to maintain our position as the top European destination for Chinese tourists through our collaboration with Trip.com Group.”

Earlier this week, British Ambassador to China Dame Barbara Woodward met with Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun to further discussions of a collaboration to revitalize international tourism. “Despite the setbacks of the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in business exchanges between our countries. With the help of Trip.com Group, we anticipate a strong recovery for travel, and welcome visitors from across the globe.”

As the pandemic comes under control and cross-border travel becomes safe and practical again, Trip.com Group anticipates that these trends will continue, and looks forward to a strong recovery for the international travel industry.

About Trip.com Group:
Trip.com Group is a leading one-stop travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group enables local partners and travelers around the world to make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services, through the aggregation of comprehensive travel related information and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of mobile apps, Internet websites and 24/7 customer service centers. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel brands in the world, with the mission of ‘making every trip the perfect trip’.

International PR, Trip.com Group
Email: [email protected]