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History & Brand

  • 1954

    China International Travel Service (abbreviated to CITS) was established on April 15, 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.

  • 1957

    19 CITS branches had been set up in major cities across the country to the end of 1957, while the business network was initially formed. During this period, CITS focused on foreign affairs reception.

  • 1958

    Another 35 CITS branches were established.

  • 1964

    CITS was authorized with another official name: China National Tourism Administration Bureau (abbreviated to CNTA). At this stage, government function and enterprise management was combined; the CNTA and CITS were in different names but with the same staff. CITS has established 46 branches until 1996.

  • 1982

    According to Principle of Separation of Enterprise from Administration, CITS specialized in all travel- related service, while CNTA concentrated on national tourism management.

  • 1984

    CITS was authorized to be an enterprise unit, which operated independently and assumed sole responsibility for its own profits and losses.

  • 1989

    CNTA authorized the establishment of China International Travel Service Group.

  • 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.

  • 1994

    CITS was listed among the 100 Pilot Enterprises of Modern Enterprise System by the State Council.

  • 1998

    CITS was listed as one of 520 key state enterprises.

  • 1999

    CITS was separated from CNTA and became an enterprise directly under the administration of the Central government.

  • 2000

    CITS became the only industrial member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in China and successfully passed the ISO9001 Authentication.

  • 2001

    CITS was the only tourism company among China Top 500 Enterprises. Its revenue growth, profit growth, per capital revenue, and per capital profit all ranked Top 100.

  • 2002

    CITS was listed among China Top 500 Enterprises and ranked 1st in tourism by National Bureau of Statistics.

  • 2003

    CITS became a central enterprise under State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. At the end of this year, CITS merged with China Duty-free Group.

  • 2004

    During the 2004 World Brand and China Top 500 Most Valuable Brand conferences, held by World Brand Laboratory (WBL) and World Economic Forum (WEF), CITS, with its brand value reaching RMB 8.881 billion, ranked number No.53 and No.1 in Tourism Industry respectively.

  • 2005

    CITS donated RMB 200,000 Yuan to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami stricken areas.

  • 2006

    CITS was listed as a Top 500 Mundell International Tourism Industry at the Mundell Global Top 500 enterprises in travel industry award ceremony, held by Mundell Magazine in New York.

  • 2007

    CITS was identified as one of Beijing AAAAA Class Travel Agencies.

  • 2008

    CITS changed its name to China International Travel Service Company, Limited.

  • 2009

    CITS successfully became an A-Share Listed Company.

  • 2011

    During the 2011 World Brand and China Top 500 Most Valuable Brand conferences, CITS, with its brand value reaching RMB 19.6 billion, ranked No.1 in Tourism Industry.

  • 2012

    During the 2012 World Brand and China Top 500 Most Valuable Brand conferences, held by World Brand Laboratory (WBL), CITS, with its brand value reaching RMB 22.56 billion, ranked No.1 in Tourism Industry.