China strengthens MICE cooperation despite travel hurdles

Conversations on the bustling show floor of IMEX America 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada revealed that business travel between China and the United States is recovering steadily, though not without challenges.

After several years of pandemic disruptions and geopolitical headwinds, companies on both sides are eager to rebuild in-person communication and business exchange. Yet visa processing delays, limited flight capacity and high travel costs remain significant obstacles for many in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry.

China, now the world's second-largest economy, continues to attract growing numbers of international visitors traveling with business objectives to attend major exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo, visiting technology companies or exploring the nation's expanding consumer market. More travelers are combining professional activities with cultural experiences, spending several days in meetings and trade events before touring major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The demand for this kind of business-oriented travel is rising rapidly, driven by China's improved infrastructure and upgraded hospitality standards.

Alex Mortensen, sales director for North America at HiSEAS International, a global destination management company headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan province, said the momentum for US outbound travel to China is increasing, supported by the country's steady modernization and expanding event capacity.

"I see the trends for outbound US travel to China increasing. China has made tremendous improvements, not only in accommodation and meeting space, but also in the overall infrastructure, making it much easier for people in the MICE arena to conduct business in China," Mortensen told China Daily.

Mortensen said streamlined visa policies are essential to maintaining this growth. "I think China has a lot to offer. There is still some concern about language barriers and visas, but things have gotten much better. As we keep the visas easy to get and business keeps going, I think the future looks very bright," he said.

However, Mortensen noted that the situation remains more difficult for Chinese business travelers heading to the US.

"For the US, we make it difficult for people to come here for business," Mortensen said, adding that more balanced and reciprocal travel procedures would help both sides foster stronger people-to-people connections.

Linda Wang, founder and country director of Asia Concierge in China, who attended IMEX America for the first time since the pandemic, said the limited number of direct flights remains a major challenge.

"The biggest challenge is the international flights, because there are not enough," Wang told China Daily after completing more than 30 appointments at the event. "There used to be around 300 flights between China and the US each week, but now there are only about 80, and most are operated by Chinese airlines. Compared with before the pandemic, it's much less, and airfare has at least doubled. That's one of the barriers affecting our industry."

Patrick Sudlow, a leader in the planning and operations team at American Express Global Business Travel, shared similar concerns about US entry barriers for Chinese professionals.

"We're seeing business increase, with more Chinese travelers coming to the US for meetings post-COVID," Sudlow said. "Sometimes we'll get a Chinese traveler that accepts to come to a meeting, but they unfortunately don't have a visa. They're invited three months out — will they get their visa in a month? Can they go to the meeting? We're still trying to figure out how quickly visas are getting moved so travelers can go to the US."

While visa difficulties remain a bottleneck, participants at IMEX America pointed out that China has taken concrete steps to make business visits easier. Aki Yang from WildChina Corporate Service, a travel agency specializing in corporate incentive programs, said China's facilitation measures are making a clear difference.

"The Chinese government is making it easier for inbound travelers to China, including a lot of visa-free policies for more and more countries," Yang said. "China also offers a 240-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens of 55 eligible countries traveling through to a third destination." She added that airport assistance, SIM card services and wider access to digital payments have further improved the visitor experience.

Despite lingering travel constraints, some American industry professionals remain optimistic about expanding cooperation. G.V. Schloss, manager of event operations at Maritz Global Events, said the perception of China among his clients has been positive.

"China has been very welcoming," he told China Daily. "At this point, I haven't seen any major concerns about promoting travel there. It's more about creating the right incentives and customized itineraries based on clients' preferences. Chinese partners are very open and friendly. I'm optimistic we'll be able to organize tours to China again in the near future."

"The best way to navigate the current geopolitical climate is with mutual respect and understanding, and I believe hospitality is the key," said David Fredericks, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at Century Cruises.