Trip.com VP says events are becoming travel motivations and expands ticket offerings

Edison Chen, Vice President of Global Destination Marketing at Trip.com Group, spoke at the WTTC Global Summit 2026 in Malta and said events such as Wimbledon, Formula 1, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Blackpink and BTS are becoming travel motivations.

Trip.com now partners with entertainment companies, sports organisations and music festivals and works with more than 100 tourism partners, including national, city and state bodies, to offer concert and sports tickets alongside conventional travel bookings; the industry must rethink how it attracts travellers and what it offers them once they arrive, while independent travel and tailor‑made small‑group trips are rising.