HelloDive makes waves at the first DRT Show Chengdu

• September 7, 2026
• Market Insight

From July 17 to 19, 2026, DRT Show arrived in Chengdu for the first time, bringing one of Asia’s best-known dive exhibitions to Southwest China.

Throughout the three-day event, the HelloDive booth welcomed experienced divers, club leaders and travel enthusiasts from across the region. While China’s coastal cities have traditionally been more closely associated with outbound dive travel, Chengdu offered a useful reminder that inland markets are equally active, experienced and increasingly interested in more specialised dive travel products.

Many visitors were already familiar with Southeast Asia and were actively looking beyond the region for new liveaboard routes, remote island destinations and more distinctive dive experiences.

A growing appetite for the South Pacific

One of the clearest observations from the show was the level of interest in the South Pacific.

Thanks to relatively easy access and established travel routes, divers in Southwest China are already highly familiar with destinations across Southeast Asia. What stood out in Chengdu was the number of conversations around destinations further afield, particularly Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Because the HelloDive team has carried out site inspections across these destinations and works directly with local suppliers, we were able to share practical first-hand information on seasonal conditions, flight connections, accommodation and itinerary planning.

For many visitors, the questions were no longer simply about where to dive, but about how to make more remote destinations work in practice.

Introducing Vanuatu with the tourism board

Another highlight of the show was working alongside the Vanuatu Tourism Office to introduce the destination to more Chinese divers.

Compared with more established dive regions such as Southeast Asia, the Red Sea and the Maldives, Vanuatu is still relatively unfamiliar to much of the Chinese dive market, particularly among inland travellers.

At the show, we introduced visitors to some of the destination’s key diving experiences, from its well-known WWII wrecks to reef diving and island-based itineraries, while also answering practical questions around access, inter-island travel and trip planning.

The response reinforced what we had already begun to see in the market: experienced Chinese divers are increasingly looking beyond familiar destinations and are open to travelling further for something different.

Looking beyond China’s coastal markets

For HelloDive, Chengdu was also an important opportunity to better understand the potential of China’s inland dive communities.

The conversations we had throughout the show showed a market that is knowledgeable, internationally minded and increasingly comfortable planning more complex dive travel.

As these regional markets continue to develop, HelloDive looks forward to working more closely with tourism boards, resorts, liveaboards and local partners to bring a wider range of dive destinations to Chinese travellers.

Until next time, Chengdu!