ITB Berlin 2026 high-level industry session organised by the European Travel Commission in collaboration with Mastercard: “Enabling Seamless Travel between China and Europe.”

Today at #ITBBerlin 2026, we had the opportunity to attend the high-level industry session organised by the European Travel Commission in collaboration with Mastercard: “Enabling Seamless Travel between China and Europe.” — Emilio José Inés Villar
The session was opened by Eduardo Santander Fernández-Portillo PhD, CEO of the European Travel Commission, who set the tone by underlining the strategic importance supporting the growth of China–Europe travel flows through partnership, data and innovation allowing to support visitors.

One of the highlights was the insightful presentation by Quim Martínez Bosch, who shared a deep dive into the evolving profile of the #Chinese visitor. The data clearly showed that:

• Cultural experiences (50%) and culinary experiences (43%) remain key motivations
• Wellness, nature and meaningful travel moments are gaining relevance
• Security concerns, language barriers and payment acceptance remain among the main friction points
Understanding both motivations and concerns is critical if we want to truly enable seamless cross-border travel.

Events like this are a reminder that collaboration between destinations, travel stakeholders and financial ecosystems is essential to reduce friction and enhance the end-to-end traveller journey.

Great discussions, valuable insights and strong industry alignment at CityCube Berlin.

#ChinaTravel#TourismStrategy#EuropeanTravelCommission#Mastercard#TravelData#ITBBerlin2026#tourism

Emilio José Inés Villar, MEng, MBA : Head of International Tourism at The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group

M.Z.I. Dalton Zahir | From ITB