The China National Tourism Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce have announced in Beijing that starting June 17 2008, Chinese citizens can organize tour groups to America.
Shao Qiwei, director of CNTA, will lead the first tour group visiting Washington on June 17. Shao said that according to the "Memorandum of Understanding for Facilitating Chinese Tourists' Visits to the U.S." signed between China and the U.S. on December 11, 2007, and the action plans jointly affirmed by CNTA and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Chinese tour groups to the U.S. will be organized following the grading principles of time, areas, and tourists. The first phase in implementing this action will be for six months, and the areas include Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong. This is all part of an eventual full Approved Destination Status deal between the two countries.
From June 17, travel agencies in these nine provinces or cities with the qualifications to operate outbound tour business will be permitted to organize tour groups of locally registered citizens to travel to the United States.
全球住宿共享巨头Airbnb（爱彼迎）近日悄悄推出了自己的“故事”板块。据传，爱彼迎已经向一些用户发送了试用邀请，目前这项业务仅适用于最新的iPhone App中的故事板块，视频长度被限制在每条10秒以内，并可附上时间、地点、旅行时长和感想。这些内容会被自动链接到故事内容的拍摄地，并与所在的民宿产品关联。 (more…)
总部位于北京的智能旅行箱开发公司ForwardX近日宣布获得1000万美元融资，由鼎晖投资领投，钟鼎创投参投。同时，该公司还新推出了一款可以“看见”的行李箱 OVIS 用来解放旅行者的双手。 (more…)
总部位于上海的出境游民宿预订平台Ostay近期获得了来自英诺天使的Pre-A轮融资，金额为1000万。 (more…)
国内领先的微信公众平台开发服务商微盟近日宣布与微信酒店直销平台运营商广州向蜜鸟网络科技有限公司签署收购协议。本次收购完成后，向蜜鸟将成为微盟的控股子公司，也标志着微盟正式进军智慧酒店市场。 (more…)
精品度假酒店品牌诗莉莉近日宣布完成B轮及B+轮融资，共计1亿元人民币。B轮融资由五岳资本领投，经纬中国跟投；B+轮融资由青松基金领投，五岳资本跟投。此前，该公司曾获得来自经纬中国的1亿元A轮融资。 (more…)