Date: September 22-23, 2026
Venue: Shanghai International Convention Center
Theme: Change
In 2026, the rules of the game in China’s travel market are changing.
If you are planning your next move in China travel market, you have probably already seen several major shifts taking shape:
Shift 1: OTA-supplier relationships are being redefined — from friction to co-creation
AI-powered recommendation engines, trip-planning tools, and new traffic gateways are reshaping how travelers discover and book travel. For suppliers, that means more ways to acquire new customers. For platforms, it also means the old traffic dividend is no longer as strong as it once was. At the same time, suppliers’ reliance on OTA channels — and the tension around margin distribution — is becoming harder to ignore.
The relationship between OTAs and suppliers is entering a new phase. What deserves more attention now is not simply who holds the upper hand, but how platforms and suppliers can strike a new balance across traffic, data, and brand, and build a healthier ecosystem together.
Shift 2: Travel consumption is evolving — the self-reward economy is rewriting growth logic
A younger generation of travelers is looking for personalized, immersive experiences, and is increasingly willing to pay for niche activities, visually compelling settings, and emotional value. Older travelers are moving beyond rushed sightseeing in favor of higher-quality journeys that combine wellness, culture, and deeper engagement. Business travelers, meanwhile, are no longer satisfied with the idea that a business trip is just about work — they are seeking more seamless “business + leisure” experiences.
As the needs of these key traveler groups continue to diverge, the industry’s supply logic is being reshaped. For travel businesses, understanding these changes is essential to capturing the next wave of growth in an era defined by more rational spending and more emotionally driven choices.
Shift 3: New models are emerging — cross-industry players are redrawing the boundaries of hospitality
A growing number of non-traditional players are reshaping what hospitality can look like. By combining lodging with work, social, wellness, and other lifestyle scenarios, they are revitalizing underused assets and unlocking new revenue beyond rooms. Through formats such as e-sports, immersive entertainment, and IP collaborations, they are reaching new customer groups and turning low-frequency stays into more frequent consumption.
For the hotel sector, the next breakthrough may not come from within the industry alone, but from the imagination of those crossing into it.
Shift 4: Business travel digitalization is moving from an efficiency tool to a core capability
As global business travel continues to recover, digitalization is no longer just about improving efficiency. It is becoming a core capability for corporate travel management. From travel sourcing and global supply-chain coordination to AI-driven productivity gains and sustainable travel practices, business travel in 2026 is no longer a simple cost-control exercise.
TravelDaily invites you to join us in exploring how the travel needs of China’s new generation, business travelers, silver travelers, inbound visitors, and lower-tier market consumers are evolving — and how these shifts are driving new thinking in product design, marketing, and operations.
Register Now and Save：https://6td.cc/3vlOwq
Early bird rate: $1,000
Valid until May 31, 2026—Don' t miss it!
Contact: xenia@traveldaily.cn
TravelDaily Conference 2026
With 18 years of industry influence and accumulation, the TravelDaily Conference has become one of the most influential premier gatherings in the global travel industry.
As in previous years, TravelDaily Conference 2026 will welcome 1,800+ attendees from hotels, airlines, destinations, tourism boards, online travel, travel technology, corporate travel, TMCs, payments, and more. The event will bring together senior and mid-level decision-makers across strategy, digital transformation, marketing, sales, e-commerce, product, IT, and operations to discuss the future of travel.
Who Should Join？
· Anyone looking to expand into the China travel market
· Anyone eager to understand how AI is accelerating change across China’s travel and hotel sectors, or hoping to bring AI solutions into the China travel market
More Reasons to Attend
For overseas tour operators, the conference offers:
· The latest insights into China’s inbound travel policies, visa procedures, and on-the-ground service changes
· Direct access to leading Chinese DMCs, OTAs, and destination partners
· Case studies on how successful China travel products are built and sold
For overseas OTAs, the conference offers:
· A deep dive into digital trends in China’s inbound travel market, from booking systems and payment methods to content marketing
· A clearer understanding of the differences between Chinese outbound demand and inbound traveler behavior
· Discussions on how localized content, AI translation, and smart recommendations can improve conversion for China travel products
Key Topics
Center Stage - TravelDaily Conference (Sep 22)
· The AI Strategic Chessboard: Defining the Next Decade of Travel
· Reshaping OTA-Hotel Dynamics
· The 'New Navigation Era' for Chinese Hotels
· The Human-AI Synergy: Why Travel Agencies Remain Irreplaceable
· Regaining the Favor of Chinese Consumers
· Emotional Growth in Rational Consumption: The Rise of Self-Reward Travel
· The Next Frontier for Travel Investment
· The Wave of AI Evolution
Breakout forum 1 - China Hotel Marketing Conference (Sep 23)
· The New Voyage: Strategic Pivots of Chinese Hotel Titans
· Global Brands, Local Anchors
· Heritage Luxury Reimagined: A Digital & Intelligence Renaissance
· The Rise of Regional Giants: Strategies for Breakthrough
· Hotel Product Reconstruction
· Cross-Industry Disruption: New Competitors in Hospitality
· The Evolution of Corporate Travel Procurement: Beyond the Price War
· Reassessing Staffless Hotels: Efficiency vs. Hospitality
Breakout forum 2 - China Business Travel Conference (Sep 23)
· Decoding 2026's Corporate Travel Landscape
· Mapping China’s Corporate Travel Flows
· China Company, Global Footprint: A New Playbook for Travel Managers
· The ESG Imperative: Embedding Sustainability into Corporate Travel
· Focus vs. Diversification: Re-engineering the Corporate Travel Supply Chain
· The Gulf Carriers’ Playbook: Building Competitive Moats
· From Automation to Augmentation: AI as the Co-Pilot for Travel Managers
· Ecosystem Convergence: The Next Chapter of Corporate Travel
Exhibitions - Business Travel & Digital Travel Show (Sep 22-23)
· Travel Technologies
· Corporate Travel Resources
· Tourism Products & Marketing Innovation
Speakers
Each year, the TravelDaily Conference brings together 100+ CEOs from leading companies, industry analysts, and operators from across travel verticals to share insights from different perspectives, roles, and hands-on experience — helping attendees spot the latest business opportunities in travel.
Register Now and Save：https://6td.cc/3vlOwq
Early bird rate: $1,000
Valid until May 31, 2026—Don' t miss it!
Contact: xenia@traveldaily.cn
