China International Travel Service, Limited (CITS) history, profile and corporate video
China International Travel Service, Limited (CITS) is a tourism company headquartered in Beijing, China. It owns a national network with more than 120 CITS branches and sub-branch offices across the whole country to travel products and services to people who travel within China.
China International Travel Service, Limited (CITS) is a subsidiary of CITS Group Corporation. CITS Group Corporation is a state-owned key enterprises group integrating travel services, sales of duty-free products, development and management of real estate in tourism resorts, communications and transport, e-commerce, and other general services.
Besides handling the regular tours, CITS also performs:
- Special Interest, Adventures Tours
- Business Forums or Formulization Inspection Tours
- Governmental Relation Visiting Tours
- Incentive & Conference Tours
- Educational Training or Study Programs
- Science and Technology Exchange Programs
- VIP or Application for Special Treatment, Luxurious Package
- The Society Exploration Tours
CITS has five Business to Cosnumer (B2C) Websites for different markets:
- English – China Travel Designer
- Italian – Cina Viaggio
- Spanish – Viajes en China
- Russian – Kitaitury
The main business scope of B2C websites include: package tours, city tours, join-in tours, private tours, MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Exhibition), tailor-made tours, city transfers, international train tickets & hotel booking, etc.
HISTORY
China International Travel Service (CITS) was established in 1954, with 12 branches in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and other major cities. At its beginning, CITS has been a department of the Foreign Culture Exchange State Committee and department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over a decade, acting as a nongovernmental friendship bridge for the state between home and abroad.
19 CITS branches were set up in major cities across the country by the end of 1957, while the business network was initially formed. During this period, CITS focused on foreign affairs reception.
In 1964, CITS was authorized with the name China National Tourism Administration Bureau (CNTA). At this stage, government function and enterprise management was combined; the CNTA and CITS were in different names but with the same staff.’
In 1982, according to Principle of Separation of Enterprise from Administration, CITS specialized in all travel-related services, while CNTA concentrated on national tourism management.
In 1984, CITS was authorized to be an enterprise unit, which operated independently.
In 1989, CNTA authorized the establishment of China International Travel Service Group.
In 1992, the State Economic and Trade Commission approved the CITS to form CITS Group Corporation. CITS has been bloomed into a large state-owned key enterprise group, which fully demonstrated its role as a leading enterprise in China’s tourism industry.
In 1999, CITS was separated from CNTA and became an enterprise directly under the administration of the Central government.
In 2003, CITS became a central enterprise under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. At the end of 2003, CITS merged with China Duty-free Group.
In 2008, CITS changed its name to China International Travel Service Company, Limited.
In 2009, CITS became an A-Share Listed Company.
With more than 10,000 employees, China International Travel Service, Limited is considered one of the leading enterprises in China’s tourism industry. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.cits.net.
**Video published on YouTube by “Eventparadise“.