The 2025 TravelDaily Conference & Digital Travel Show was held on September 10–11 at the Shanghai International Conference Center under the theme “New Waves, New World.”
The annual gathering has grown into one of the most influential cross-sector and globally oriented forums in China, bringing together senior representatives from OTAs, hotel groups, airlines, TMCs, corporate travel buyers, destinations, travel agencies, and technology and marketing providers.
This year’s edition highlighted the summit’s increasingly global perspective. International organizations and brands such as McKinsey, IATA, Airbnb, Accor, Turkish Airlines, and Amadeus joined Chinese leaders including Trip.com Group, Fliggy, Tencent, Meituan, Xiaohongshu, H World, and Jin Jiang to provide a wide spectrum of insights.
With overseas delegates actively engaging in every session, the conference underscored its role as a vital bridge for dialogue between China and the world travel industry.
Discussions reflected the major forces reshaping global travel. Many sessions examined how AI is redefining traffic flows, customer touchpoints, and the overall travel ecosystem. OTAs and tech platforms shared how intelligent recommendations and personalization are changing the booking journey, while hotel groups explored how AI can drive efficiency, support product innovation, and enhance loyalty programs. Airlines and regulators provided updates on network strategies, capacity shifts, and evolving passenger demand.
The hospitality break-out sessions focused on long-term growth logic in a competitive market. Topics ranged from product upgrades and sustainability to the balance between guest experience and owner returns. Leaders from major Chinese and international hotel groups exchanged views on how to withstand cyclical fluctuations, capture emerging customer segments such as family and senior travelers, and unlock new opportunities in high-end and niche products.
The corporate travel break-out sessions addressed the accelerating digital transformation of business travel. Global TMCs including Amex GBT, BCD Travel, and Navan joined Chinese players such as Trip.com Group’s Trip.Biz and Alibaba Fliggy’s AliBTrip to discuss how AI-driven solutions, compliance requirements, and payment innovation are reshaping corporate travel management. Sessions also highlighted the challenges of cross-border services, tighter budgets, and the need to balance efficiency, user experience, and cost control.
Beyond technology, the conference highlighted shifting consumer dynamics. Panels explored the influence of Gen Z on outbound travel trends, the rising power of silver-age travelers, and the growing importance of community-driven content platforms. These conversations reinforced the idea that demographic change and consumer diversity will be as crucial as technological breakthroughs in shaping future growth.
With support from a broad set of partners—including Airbnb, Hertz, Mastercard, Tencent Cloud, Meituan Travel, Xiaohongshu, Jin Jiang, H World, Accor, IHG, and many more—the 2025 TravelDaily Conference delivered diverse perspectives and deep insights.
The common thread across all discussions was clear: in an uncertain environment, sustained innovation and open collaboration remain the keys to unlocking long-term value for the global travel industry.
