Technology

Trip.com Group at the World Economic Forum calls for stronger private and public sector collaboration to counter “unbalanced tourism” and drive growth

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2025

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 24, 2025 /CNW/ — Leading global travel services provider Trip.com Group has called for public and private stakeholders to step up collaboration to unlock new growth potential for the global tourism industry.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos — a platform convening leaders across government, business, and civil society to engage and advance solutions to evolving global challenges — Trip.com Group CEO Ms Jane Sun and other panellists at the discussion titled “The Way We Will Travel” shared that a key challenge faced by the industry is not over-tourism but “unbalanced tourism”.

The panel cited Europe where some of the popular cities appeared to be overwhelmed, resulting in over-crowding and a backlash from local residents. Ms Sun agreed that industry players such as Trip.com Group in tandem with local authorities and effective policy, can entice tourists to visit alternative and equally exciting destinations.

“In the past, language barriers tended to confine tourists to the best-known destinations, leading to unbalanced growth across regions,” said Ms Sun, “Today, travellers, armed with technology and improved access to information, are much more open to venturing beyond the traditional travel hotspots for unique experiences. With supportive government policies and attractive travel offerings, more travellers may be encouraged to visit and spend more time in new regional destinations, which will alleviate the burden on traditional sites. The concerted effort to re-direct travellers to different places may also stimulate economic growth in local communities.

“Another way to stagger tourist volumes across the year and avoid travel infrastructure from being overwhelmed is for the industry to market to different regions at different times, focusing on their school and cultural holidays, for example Chinese New Year and Christmas,” added Ms Sun.

As UN Tourism announced a virtual full recovery in 2024 with global travel at 99% of pre-pandemic levels, the travel and tourism sector is now focusing on building resilience and securing its future amidst various challenges. Joining this important conversation, Ms Sun spoke alongside distinguished panellists including Mr Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania; Mr Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia; Mr Xavier Rossinyol, CEO of Avolta AG; and Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

Ms Sun particularly commended the efforts of Singapore as a sterling example of public-private partnership efforts to encourage a more in-depth exploration of a country’s sights and experiences, on top of an efficient, world-class air travel experience that Changi Airport is well known for. Situated at the heart of one of the world’s busiest airports, Jewel Changi Airport has transformed the routine airport experience into a fulfilling visit with its iconic waterfall, botanic garden, and shopping and gourmet options. As Changi Airport reported a total of 67.7 million passengers in 2024 and matched pre-pandemic levels in the last quarter, Jewel has offered a refreshing model for a travel hub that actively becomes part of the journey.

Capitalising on the rise of experiential travel, Ms Sun noted that emerging destinations could further embrace new growth by improving travel connectivity, cutting through the red tape and streamlining entry procedures. “Travel connections are critical for markets to be accessible to travellers, with smooth border processes being the next step. Some countries have already made significant progress with visa-free policies or efficient online visa application processes. For regions looking to grow their tourism industry and maximise its economic and social impact, we urge the relevant authorities to consider making the visa process shorter and more efficient,” she urged.

Ms. Sun noted that countries that have wielded policy tools to boost inbound travel have seen remarkable results. Saudi Arabia, which has prioritised its investments in tourism as a key pillar of its Vision 2030, has experienced a meteoric rise since the launch of its eVisa programme in 2019. As one of the world’s fastest-growing country destinations, Saudi Arabia reported triple-digit year-on-year growth across Trip.com Group platforms in 2024. The expanded access for international tourists, marketing initiatives, and the upgraded tourism infrastructure have further encouraged tourists to pursue more in-depth exploration that enables more even growth across the country’s various destinations.

Trip.com Group is at the forefront of working with destinations and providers to leverage its technological capabilities, generating value for stakeholders and enriching traveller experiences. Incorporating insights into partner offerings into its knowledge base, Trip.com Group utilises AI-assisted tools, such as the intelligent travel assistant TripGenie and the Trip.Best rankings, to recommend hidden gems beyond the usual hotspots and generate itineraries that extend the suggested travel time. In addition to boosting user conversion and gross merchandise revenue, these projects seek to create mutually beneficial relationships between travel businesses and destinations, as well as between tourists and host communities.

Grasping these trends will be key to capturing the estimated additional USD 5 trillion in annual economic value that travel will generate within the next decade, as the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasted. Driving and sustaining this growth demands a collective effort across sectors, combining policy, innovation, and investment to empower people, build collective talent, and share benefits with communities.

Having pioneered progressive innovations in travel and beyond for 25 years, Trip.com Group reaffirmed its commitment to shaping a more connected, sustainable, and inclusive future as Ms Sun engaged in forward-looking industry discussions at high-level events and meetings at WEF Davos 2025.

“There is much to be optimistic about as the travel industry stands poised for transformative growth,” said Ms Sun. “We look forward to working with peers to ensure that travel continues to deliver shared, positive, and lasting impact for all stakeholders.”

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission “to pursue the perfect trip for a better world”. Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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SOURCE Trip.com Group

Technology

Brightstar Lottery Receives Highest MSCI ESG Rating of AAA

Published

35 minutes ago

April 30, 2026

LONDON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brightstar Lottery PLC (NYSE: BRSL) (“Brightstar”) announced that it received the highest MSCI ESG rating of AAA. This rating exemplifies Brightstar’s commitment to global sustainability leadership in managing ESG-related risks and opportunities. Brightstar received a perfect score for carbon emissions and high scores in the product safety and quality category.

“Receiving the MSCI AAA ESG rating in Brightstar’s first year as a pure-play lottery company highlights our commitment to making sustainability practices a priority throughout our business,” said Wendy Montgomery, Brightstar SVP, Branding, Communications and Sustainability. “This rating from MSCI serves as motivation to continue our work building a sustainable future where our people, our partners, and our planet can thrive.”

MSCI ESG Ratings measure a company’s resilience to long-term, industry-specific sustainability risks using a rules-based methodology. MSCI analysts research and rate companies on a ‘AAA’ (leader) to ‘CCC’ (laggard) scale based on their exposure to and management of these risks relative to peers.

MSCI Sustainability and Climate products and services are provided by MSCI Solutions LLC and certain related entities, and are designed to provide in-depth research, ratings and analysis of environmental, social and governance related business practices to companies worldwide. ESG ratings, data and analysis from MSCI Sustainability and Climate are also used in the construction of MSCI Indexes.

Brightstar received its MSCI ESG rating on March 23, 2026.

About Brightstar Lottery PLC
Brightstar Lottery PLC (NYSE: BRSL) is a global leader in lottery focused on innovation and forward-thinking strategies and solutions, building on our renowned expertise in delivering secure technology and producing reliable, comprehensive solutions for our customers. As a premier pure play global lottery company, our best-in-class lottery operations, retail and digital solutions, and award-winning lottery games enable our customers to achieve their goals, entertain players and distribute meaningful benefits to communities. Brightstar has a well-established local presence and is a trusted partner to governments and regulators around the world, creating value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. Brightstar serves nearly 90 lottery customers and their players on six continents. It is the primary technology provider to 26 of the 46 lottery jurisdictions in the U.S. and eight of the world’s 10 largest lotteries. Brightstar has approximately 6,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.brightstarlottery.com or follow along on LinkedIn.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning Brightstar Lottery PLC and its consolidated subsidiaries and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions, and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, products and services, customer relationships, results of operations, or financial condition, or otherwise, including specific sustainability goals, based on current beliefs of the management of the Company as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “shall,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project” or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company’s control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance, or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) macroeconomic, regulatory and political uncertainty, including as a result of new or increased tariffs, trade wars, and other restrictions on trade between or among countries in which the Company operates, and related changes in discretionary consumer spending and behavior, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, and the other factors and risks described in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.brightstarlottery.com. Except as required under applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these factors and other risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company’s business. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:
Mike DeAngelis, Corporate Communications, +1 (401) 392-1000, mike.deangelis@brightstarlottery.com
Matteo Selva, Italian media inquiries, +39 366 6803635
James Hurley, Investor Relations, +1 (401) 392-7190

The trademarks and/or service marks used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Brightstar Lottery PLC, its affiliates or its licensors.

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SOURCE Brightstar Lottery PLC

Technology

CNFinance Files Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2025

Published

35 minutes ago

April 30, 2026

GUANGZHOU, China, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company”), a leading home equity loan service provider in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 30, 2026.

The annual report can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.cashchina.cn as well as the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

The Company will provide a hard copy of its annual report, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to the Company’s IR Department at ir@cashchina.cn.

About CNFinance Holdings Limited

CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company”) is a leading home equity loan service provider in China. CNFinance, through its operating subsidiaries in China, conducts business by connecting demands and supplies through collaborating with sales partners and trust companies under the trust lending model, and sales partners, local channel partners and commercial banks under the commercial bank partnership model. Sales partners and local channel partners are responsible for recommending micro- and small-enterprise (“MSE”) owners with financing needs to the Company and the Company introduces eligible borrowers to licensed financial institutions with sufficient funding sources including trust companies and commercial banks who will then conduct their own risk assessments and make credit decisions. The Company’s primary target borrower segment is MSE owners who own real properties in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities and other major cities in China. The Company’s risk mitigation mechanism is embedded in the design of its loan products, supported by an integrated online and offline process focusing on risks of both borrowers and collateral and further enhanced by effective post-loan management procedures.

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SOURCE CNFinance Holdings Limited

Technology

Abram’s Kaizen Program Announces 10-Year Milestone in Online Health Coaching

Published

35 minutes ago

April 30, 2026

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Abram’s Kaizen Program, an online health coaching program for women aged 35 and older, today announced that it has served more than 6,000 clients since its founding in 2014 and currently supports approximately 1,000 active members.

The program was founded by Abram Anderson, a nutritionist, published author and public speaker who developed the company’s methodology after investing, by his account, more than $200,000 in direct mentorship from practitioners in behaviour change, gut health and women’s hormonal health. Abram’s Kaizen Program focuses on women navigating perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause — a demographic the company says is often overlooked by mainstream weight management programs.

“A lot of women in this age group come to us after trying multiple approaches that didn’t produce the results they were looking for,” said Abram Anderson, Founder of Abram’s Kaizen Program. “Our program offers a different framework. Whether it’s the right fit depends on the individual, but the demand we’ve seen over the past decade tells us there’s a gap in the market.”

Abram’s Kaizen Program uses what the company calls a “Data-Driven Decision” methodology — an approach adapted from the Japanese manufacturing principle of kaizen, or continuous improvement. Rather than prescribing standardised meal plans, clients are guided to track how their bodies respond to specific foods. Monitoring energy levels, digestive patterns and weight fluctuations and use that information to make individualised dietary adjustments.

The program places emphasis on gut microbiome health and hormonal balance, which the company considers relevant factors in weight management for its target demographic. Research published in Frontiers in Nutrition has explored the relationship between gut microbiota composition and metabolic health, including the role of low-grade inflammation.

Program members receive access to a custom mobile application, a support chat with responses guaranteed within 24 hours, optional access to over 20 live coaching calls per week with nutritionists, a year-long curriculum, and an AI coaching assistant. “The goal is for clients to build habits they can sustain on their own,” said Abram Anderson. “We want people to eventually graduate from the program, not stay in it indefinitely.”

About Abram’s Kaizen Program

Abram’s Kaizen Program is an online health coaching program for women aged 35 and older. Founded in 2014 by nutritionist and published author Abram Anderson, the program uses a personalised, data-informed approach with a focus on gut health and hormonal balance. The program has served more than 6,000 clients and currently supports approximately 1,000 active members. For more information, visit abramskmtp.com

Media Details:

Company Name: Abram’s Kaizen Program
Founder: Abram Anderson
Email Contact: media@abramskmtp.com
Company Website: https://www.abramskmtp.com/
Location: Los Angeles, United States

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2964712/Abrams_Kaizen_Program.jpg

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