Beyond convention halls, China offers new experiences, from technology tours to cross-border business partnerships, as it seeks to attract more international meetings and incentive travel.
According to the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry's 2026 World Map of Exhibition Venues report, China accounted for 30.7 percent of the world's gross indoor exhibition venue capacity at the end of 2025, compared with 13.9 percent for the United States and 7 percent for Germany.
At IMEX America 2026, held in Las Vegas, Nevada in October, industry professionals told China Daily that easier visa access, improved transportation and growing international interest in China's technology sector are opening new opportunities for corporate meetings, incentive travel and professional exchanges.
"The infrastructure has improved dramatically over the last 30 years," said Alex Mortensen, Los Angeles-based sales director for HiSEAS International Tourism Group.
Mortensen, whose company is headquartered in Chengdu, said cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing and Changsha are becoming increasingly attractive for international corporate events, offering modern facilities and opportunities for technology-related business exchanges.
Linda Wang, country director at Asia Concierge, a destination management company specializing in customized travel and corporate experiences, identified safety, competitive hospitality prices and the diversity of China's destinations as important advantages in attracting international incentive groups.
Wang said overseas clients are increasingly interested in visiting Hangzhou and Shenzhen, where they can learn about artificial intelligence, robotics and other technologies. "They're interested in robotic experiences, smart restaurants, smart hotels," she said.
"International groups are not only interested in seeing a destination. They also want to understand how its businesses innovate, develop products and achieve growth," said Bautista Vera Feld, business development lead of WildChina, a company specializing in customized travel and corporate experiences.
Interest in companies
Feld said international groups are also increasingly interested in visiting Chinese companies, factories, laboratories and innovation centers to understand the country's industrial development.
"The most significant evolution is that China's MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) offering is becoming more comprehensive: it is not simply about building impressive venues, but about bringing together the facilities, services and experiences that make an international event successful," he said.
Feld cited Beijing as an example, pointing to developments such as the second phase of the China National Convention Center and the Capital International Exhibition and Convention Center, supported by the city's airports, hotels and cultural attractions.
