At Trip.com Group's Global Partner Summit in Türkiye

The summit addressed new milestones and strategies aimed at transforming global travel experiences for both customers and partners. The event also announced an expanding collaboration between Trip.com Group and the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) . This development further strengthens Asia-Europe travel cooperation, once again highlighting Turkey's key role on the global tourism stage.

Sustaining growth and innovation

Speaking at the Summit held at the Istanbul Congress Center, James Liang, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trip.com Group , highlighted the importance of innovation in travel, shaped by elements such as increasing efficiency with artificial intelligence, enriching unique experiences, or promoting social responsibility.

“Travel is one of the most powerful manifestations of human innovation and creativity,” Liang said. “Transformative innovations powered by AI are redefining how people explore, connect, and experience the world, expanding the boundaries of new options. At Trip.com Group, we aim to push boundaries, foster collaboration, and create paths to a smarter, more sustainable future.”

Trip.Planner , one of Trip.com Group's standout AI innovations , offers hyper-personalized travel plans, real-time transportation integration, and access to over 20 million points of interest. James Liang also discussed the company's content-driven innovations, such as the AI-powered recommendation platform Trip.Best , the trending events guide Trip.Pulse , and Trip.Events , which highlights concerts, sporting events, and exhibitions. These tools help travelers create personalized journeys through inspiring and creative ideas.

In this context, Trip.Best now includes new thematic categories to make travellers' choices easier. For example , properties in the Family-Friendly Hotels section are evaluated based on five key criteria: amenities, activities, services, certifications, and nearby entertainment options. These features, along with the in-app social platform Trip Moments and practical travel tips from Travel Guides , form the Group's integrated ecosystem, Trip Community , supporting travelers from inspiration to booking.

James Liang also mentioned the Trip.com Group Tourism Innovation Awards, a global program that recognizes outstanding innovations in tourism in areas such as cultural heritage, sustainability, and technology, stating that they prioritize innovations aimed at enhancing unique travel experiences through initiatives like these. This year's winners included the Grand Egyptian Museum in Egypt and Afterlife, a multi-sensory show staged at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Shaping the future of global travel

In the rapidly changing global travel landscape, Trip.com Group is solidifying its leadership with a strategy that adapts to increasing consumer demand and evolving market dynamics. Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun highlighted the company's strong growth and provided insights into its performance. She attributed the 60% year-on-year increase in total bookings on Trip.com in the first half of 2025 to the robustness of consumer trust and the success of its global expansion strategy. “This is a defining moment for our industry; an opportunity to reimagine how we create shared value in the global travel ecosystem,” said Sun. “In line with our 3T vertical – talent, technology, and trust – we are deepening our partnerships worldwide to pave the way for growth in areas such as event-driven travel, senior-friendly experiences, and emerging markets. Together with our partners, we will continue to explore opportunities in three emerging trends we define as niche destinations, long-haul travel, and longer stays.”

Looking to the future, Sun emphasized that changing customer expectations are reshaping the future of travel, saying, “As travelers seek more meaningful, personalized, and seamless journeys, we combine our global reach with local insights and data-driven innovation. Through our commitment to continuous innovation and service excellence, we empower travelers and partners to forge deeper, more meaningful connections with the world.”

Event-driven travel , fueled by growing interest in cultural and entertainment experiences , is on the rise. Trip.com Group's ticket and hotel packages have reached over 10 million customers worldwide, and more than 1.000 concerts and sporting events were sold on the platform last year. In the hospitality sector, Trip.com Group prioritizes high-value segments such as inbound travel, concerts and events, wellness centers, and pet-friendly accommodations, driving increased revenue and partner growth.

The group is expanding its offerings for the silver generation (senior travelers) segment , which is projected to experience 100% growth in attractions and tours between late 2024 and mid-2025 . This segment favors premium, customized experiences for high-income travelers seeking small, private group tours and exclusive, privileged access.

Trip.Biz offers a comprehensive global solution suite integrating inventory, payments, settlements, products, and services for business travel , enabling businesses to efficiently structure personalized corporate travel programs. Trip.Biz is expected to operate in more than 30 markets by the end of 2025, strengthening the Group's position within the global corporate travel ecosystem by providing consistent and localized support.

Strengthening Asian-European cooperation

The summit also announced the expansion of Trip.com Group's partnership with the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) , which began in 2022. The enhanced collaboration now encompasses airline connections, flight frequencies, accommodation, tours, tourist destination tickets, local experiences, and comprehensive tourism packages, all powered by Trip.com Group's global data and technology capabilities.

The opening of Trip.com Group's Istanbul office in November 2024 demonstrates the company's long-term commitment to Turkey and the broader region, where traveler engagement has grown by over 50% year-over-year. According to the group's booking data, the most visited cities include Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir.

In his closing remarks, Sun said, “Together with our partners, we will continue to create new opportunities for travelers around the world to discover and experience inspiring destinations like Turkey, supporting local economies and building bridges for understanding, progress, and a better world. Looking ahead, Trip.com Group remains focused on strengthening its global partnerships and developing its technology ecosystem to bring the world closer together, one trip at a time.”

Source: HORECA TREND and Trip.com Group