(Yicai) Nov. 7 -- Hotel bookings in Shanghai have soared 80 percent from a year ago as business people converge on the city for the annual China International Import Expo, a key event in the country’s trade show calendar, according to data from travel platform Qunar.

A large number of overseas visitors are attending the CIIE and inbound travel bookings have jumped 30 percent from the same period of last year, according to figures from online travel agents Trip.Com.

A number of major international hotel chains, which have plans to expand their footprint in the Chinese mainland, are attending the CIIE, which is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai through Nov. 10.

Marriott International, which has participated in the CIIE for seven consecutive years, said it will increase its sustainability initiatives in China. The US company signed a record 100 new projects in the first nine months of the year, amounting to more than 20,000 rooms. It plans to open more than 30 new luxury hotels in the country by the end of 2025.

InterContinental Hotels Group has also returned to the CIIE for the seventh time. The UK business, which already runs a number of hotel chains in China, plans to introduce a new brand this month to broaden its customer base.

Chinese hotel operator H World Group is making its debut at the CIIE this year. The Shanghai-based company acquired Deutsche Hospitality recently, and its operations now extend across Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. It is bringing overseas chains such as Steigenberger Hotel to China and has started talks with potential business partners at the CIIE.

H World ran 15 Steigenberger and Steigenberger Icons hotels in China as of June 30, with six more set to open soon. The Frankfurt-based chain has 63 hotels worldwide.

Editor: Kim Taylor