Guangzhou International Travel Fair, better known as GITF, is the longest-running and largest outbound-inbound tourism marketplace in South China. Organised by the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau and Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai, the 31st edition will be staged 16-18 May 2024 at the China Import & Export Fair Complex in Pazhou, Guangzhou. The three-day, in-person event expects more than 40,000 trade visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions, occupying 50,000 sqm of exhibition space. The fair is open to trade professionals only on the first two days; the final day admits the general public, allowing agents to close last-minute summer bookings.

GITF positions itself as the premier platform for overseas destinations, airlines, cruise lines, hotel groups, theme parks, wellness resorts, car-hire firms, travel technology providers and Chinese tour operators to negotiate the coming year’s charter flights, group allocations and dynamic packages. 2024 highlights include a dedicated “Belt & Road” pavilion showcasing Central Asian and Middle-Eastern products, a new “Silver Tourism & Healthcare” zone reflecting China’s ageing population, and a “New Energy & RV Travel” area with test-drive tracks. Parallel to the booths, the Knowledge & Innovation Theatre hosts 60 short, TED-style briefings on e-payment solutions, short-video marketing, AI-driven itinerary planning and the post-pandemic insurance landscape.

Keynote speakers confirmed to date are H.E. Ahmed Al-Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, on visa-free facilitation; Gloria Guevara, former UNWTO Secretary-General, on sustainable destination governance; and Jason Chen, Vice-President of Fliggy, who will release the platform’s 2024 South-China outbound data. Other sessions feature Japan National Tourism Organisation revealing a new ski-resort fast-pass system, and AirAsia presenting its ASEAN-China super-app. A reverse-buying programme pre-matches 300 pre-qualified Chinese outbound wholesalers with international suppliers, while an on-site “Cloud Match” studio livestreams product pitches to 2,000 county-level travel agents unable to travel.

The fair is endorsed by the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. Visitor registration is free of charge before 30 April; afterwards a nominal fee applies.