"Travel Professionals Lined Up to Talk to Us". RH Travel Team Visits China
Dino Molter shares insights into our company's participation in tourism events held in Shanghai
Delegation from RH Travel, Inc. recently embarked on an eventful journey to Shanghai, where they participated in the prestigious tourism trade fair, ITB China 2023, and the Envision 2023 Global Conference, hosted by Trip.com Group, a global travel service powerhouse. Dino Molter, the Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) of RH Travel, shares insights on the success of this voyage and its significance.
Q: Dino, you spent an entire week in China. Was it easy to carve out time from your demanding schedule? Did the journey halfway around the world to Shanghai prove worth it?
A: Well, every member of our delegation, led by Igor Kopmar, the CEO and founder of RH Travel, ventured to Shanghai with a clear mission. Our itinerary was packed with both business and exploratory pursuits. We held numerous fruitful meetings, established valuable connections, discussed long-term strategies, and absorbed the mesmerizing essence of Shanghai. So, traversing the ocean there and back was undeniably a worthwhile endeavor.
Q: Was the primary goal of your visit the ITB China 2023 trade fair?
A: I'd say that the tourism trade fair served as the crescendo in a series of events leading up to ITB China 2023. Hosting the exhibition became a convenient occasion for global travel industry giants with headquarters or regional bases in Shanghai to convene and gather their most esteemed partners.
For instance, on September 8th, we were invited to Travelport's exclusive networking event.
- Travelport is renowned as a global technology company that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, ranking among the top three global distribution systems (GDS), alongside Amadeus IT Group and Sabre Corporation.
The evening was an informal cocktail party, offering a platform for mingling with leaders and change-makers in the travel industry, hailing from travel agencies, airlines, hoteliers, and tech companies.
Q: Your company was certainly a distinguished company!
A: Absolutely, rubbing shoulders with industry experts was a rare privilege. Nevertheless, the September Summit, an annual supplier meeting hosted by Trip.com Group, our trusted and long-standing partner, was the grandest and most impressive of all.
- Trip.com Group is a leading global online travel services company. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, the company is known for providing a wide range of travel-related services to individuals and businesses worldwide. Its services include online hotel reservations, flight bookings, vacation packages, car rentals, and more. Trip.com Group operates a portfolio of well-known brands, including Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. The group's global presence and comprehensive travel services have established it as a major player in the travel and tourism industry, serving millions of travelers around the world.
The gathering, held from September 9th to 12th, welcomed hundreds of representatives from various corners of the globe. They spanned across the spectrum of Trip.com Group's suppliers, including aviation, hospitality, car rentals, and railway tours. However, you know what truly surprised us?
Q: What was that?
A: It was the revelation that RH Travel was the sole U.S.-based air content supplier present. While other countries like Canada, Germany, India, and so on, were represented by various air content suppliers, the United States was represented by one, and that one was us.
Dino Molter (on the left) during the Trip.com event.
I must admit that the most exceptionally eventful day was September 10th. It began with a general meeting of the summit participants. Afterward, our hosts organized a tour of Trip.com Group's headquarters. In the evening, all attendees, guests, and hosts alike embarked on a dinner cruise on the Huangpu River in downtown Shanghai. The nocturnal skyline of Shanghai, as witnessed from the river, is truly a spectacle to behold.
Igor Kopmar, the CEO and founder of RH Travel, Inc.
I noticed that Igor, our CEO, was particularly taken with the Trip.com Group headquarters, which exuded a high-tech ambiance. The exterior, resembling a corporate business park, was characterized by very modern and upscale structures. It bore a striking resemblance to a neighborhood one might associate with tech giants like Google. Inside, the headquarters boasted colossal screens streaming real-time booking processes for airfare and other tourism services. It was almost like a command center, featuring a wall of video screens that conveyed live statistics and graphical representations of air and hotel bookings, city pairs in transit, and numerous other data insights. It was an impressive display, providing a live pulse on the travel industry.
Q: What were the key takeaways from the Trip.com Group's insights? Did they share their findings with you?
A: Oh, we were inundated with invaluable insights, especially during the Envision 2023 Global Partner Conference held the next day. The entire conference, which spanned the entirety of Monday, September 11th, was marked by a multitude of informative presentations. However, one address that resonated profoundly was delivered by Trip.com Group, summarizing the state of the industry and offering a glimpse into the future. I can quote a portion of it:
- "This year marks a new adventure in the global tourism industry.
The industry is evolving rapidly after a challenging few years, and new travel trends have emerged. Since the start of the year, the industry has been experiencing significant growth as flight capacity ramps up.
While travelers' preferences and booking patterns might have changed, their passion for travel remains high. Let's create a future filled with passion, confidence, and optimism for this industry we are proud to be part of."