SINGAPORE, 8 August 2019: WebBeds, a leading B2B accommodation provider, has sealed an agreement with a travel and hospitality player in southwest China’s Sichuan province to promote the destination across its global network of B2B travel partners.
During a recent visit to Sichuan province, WebBeds’ executives penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sichuan Tourism Investment JinJiang Hotels that manages hotels in the province.
Its flagship property, Sichuan JinJiang Hotel in downtown Chengdu is a landmark in the city.
Under the MoU, WebBeds will distribute Sichuan Tourism Investment JinJiang Hotel Company’s entire collection of hotels to its B2B clients worldwide.
It will connect the hotel group with prominent regional travel agencies and engage with international tourists – a critical strategic objective for the company, and for Sichuan province.
“We are thrilled to enter into this important MoU with Sichuan Tourism Investment JinJiang Hotel Company. WebBeds currently sees a disparity between inbound and outbound tourist numbers in China, and Sichuan province is no exception. This important new partnership will not only provide our travel trade clients with a collection of hotels in Sichuan; it will also help the region attract more guests from untapped markets,” said WebBeds CEO APAC CEO, Daryl Lee.
Following this initial MoU, WebBeds is now in discussions with Sichuan Tourism Board to promote the destination to its B2B clients across the Asia Pacific region.
Overall in China, there remains a significant disparity between inbound and outbound tourist flows. The country welcomed approximately 61 million inbound visitors in 2017, compared to the 131 million Chinese citizens who travelled overseas.
There are signs of a shift. Euromonitor predicts that China will become the world’s most visited tourist destination by 2030, welcoming a projected 127 million visitors per year. By this time, destinations like Sichuan will be in a prime position to welcome an influx of inbound international travellers.
Sichuan is home for approximately 80% of the world’s giant pandas, many of which can be seen at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Chengdu is also a centre of Chinese opera and an official UNESCO City of Gastronomy, famous for its spicy cuisine and elegant teas.
Outside the city, guests can visit the 71-metre-high Leshan Giant Buddha, the world’s largest stone Buddha statue, and Mount Emei, one of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains.
The province’s tourism revenue reached a record CNY1.01 trillion (US$150.0 billion) in 2018, up 13.4% year-on-year. Like most Chinese destinations, the majority of visitors to Sichuan province are domestic travellers, and the Sichuan Tourism Board is keen to draw more international leisure visitors.
As the main gateway to western China and the country’s fourth busiest airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is now served by more than 60 passenger airlines and has flights to over 50 international destinations, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Sydney.
