Chinese company links up with Inter

Lvmama.com, a popular Shanghai-based platform for tourism and leisure, was on Saturday announced as Inter Milan’s “official China travel partner”.

According to the strategic cooperation agreement signed by the two sides, the Chinese online travel agency will work with the Serie A giant to develop a series of “football tours” for Chinese fans and tourists, that will include trips to the Italian city to watch the team play.

Michael Gandler, Inter’s chief revenue officer, said that in addition to supporting the development of Lvmama’s brand among Inter’s passionate Chinese fan base, the company will also provide reciprocal value by bringing long-distance fans a step closer to the club.

“Milan is already a beloved city for Chinese tourists, but by providing access to our matches, facilities and premium experiences, fans from throughout China can have a richer experience with our city,” said Gandler.

Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry in China, with a year-on-year growth rate of around 30 percent. Soccer fans are one of the key drivers of the boom.

Soccer matches can indeed help to attract more attention to the host country, but more research is needed into the market, said Li Qiuyan, Lvmama’s public relations chief.

“Football tourism needs more professional market research, customer-oriented designs and qualified service to become more popular,” Li added.

Chinese fans use social media more than in any other part of the world, making them a very unique part of the fan market, said Gandler.

Inter says it plans to work with other Chinese brands from different industries to showcase soccer culture.

30 percent the year-on-year growth rate of the sports tourism industry in China