Ctrip hosts inaugural “Ctrip Day” travel industry conference

SHANGHAI, Dec. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Ctrip, Asia's leading online travel agency held the first ever Ctrip Day, inviting government officials, industry partners and other key stakeholders, to an event showcasing how Ctrip and its partners from across the travel industry value chain are innovating in travel.

James Liang, Co-Founder and Chairman of Ctrip Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip

During Ctrip Day, Ctrip’s Co-Founder and Chairman James Liang and CEO Jane Sun set the tone at the conference by highlighting the importance of Ctrip’s synergy with travel industry partners in the creation of a comprehensive travel ecosystem, bringing value to customers.

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Throughout the day, executives from Ctrip’s major business units shared their vision for how the Ctrip platform can add value to supply chain partners’ businesses in areas such as flights, accommodation, package tours, corporate travel and more. Ctrip helps partners through providing highly targeted traffic for business expansion; software tools for business management; big data for increased transparency and optimization; and finances to help suppliers invest in their business. For example, Ctrip’s smart suggestion technology optimizes transfer ticket options for flight ticket suppliers and the company’s financing services provide support for the renovation of small and medium sized hotels.

In the past 18 years since it was established, Ctrip has made advancements across its business, placing emphasis on services, technology and innovation and putting customer service at the core of all its operations. During the transition from PC to mobile, Ctrip has never overlooked the value of call centers, and the irreplaceable nature of human interaction in tackling complicated travel problems. Nearly 50% of Ctrip’s staff are employed in customer service, and in addition to establishing nine call centers in China, Ctrip has also set up three overseas call centers in Edinburgh, Seoul and Tokyo. These services work in tandem with Ctrip’s AI-enabled chatbots, which automate the process of solving the more simple problems raised by users, with around 75% of post transaction issues now resolved through technology. The combination of these two approaches gives Ctrip a strong foundation to provide 24/7 efficient and differentiated service to more than 300 million users.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/58e866fb-4c21-488c-8208-d5414f66ee9f

Ctrip has also extended its services from online to offline, ensuring that all travelers hear, see and feel the quality of the company’s customer service. Today, Ctrip has more than 7,000 offline franchised travel agency stores which help customers with booking inquiries. A series of innovative travel services, such as fast-lanes at airports, Virtual Travel Managers, full refunds in case of visa rejection and Global SOS with 94% success rate have made Ctrip the undisputed leader of the travel industry.

Ctrip is the largest provider of overseas travel for Chinese, presenting a strong platform for global expansion as the company becomes increasingly connected to the global travel industry supply chain. This expansion is complemented by the rapid growth of Ctrip’s international brands Skyscanner and Trip.com, which collectively attract over 90 million monthly active users globally.

Another focus for Ctrip is the promotion of direct connections to overseas businesses, including the launch of flagship stores in partnership with Accor Hotel Groups and Hyatt Hotels, signing strategic cooperation agreements with KLM, destinations, tourism bureaus and more. In terms of enabling suppliers, Ctrip mainly uses its leading advantages in data and technology to help suppliers identify new growth opportunities, improve operational efficiency and enhance product competitiveness.

China's online travel space is huge and future growth is expected.  In the golden age of China's tourism industry, Ctrip has fully implemented its globalization strategy and continues to penetrate lower-tier cities.   

China’s travel industry is rich in opportunity, with multiple drivers to growth. Growth in domestic travel is sustained through factors such as the unprecedented rise of China’s middle class from 430 million in 2017 to 780 million within the next 5-10 years, as well as the development of the world’s largest high-speed rail network, making domestic travel accessible and affordable. China’s outbound travel market is already the world’s largest, valued last year at USD 200 billion, but there still remains huge growth potential, as this accounts for less than 10% of the Chinese population. Ctrip also views China’s inbound tourism market as an area of great promise, as according to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, visitors to the Chinese mainland from outside Greater China totaled under 30 million overnight stays, room for growth of which is clear when considering the USA attracts over 75 million inbound visitors per year. According to Euromonitor, China is set to become the world’s most popular tourist destination by 2030.

Ctrip brings good development prospects for travel partners through its advantages in data, technology, resources and supply chain. Ctrip’s innovative services also sets benchmarks for the industry, which boosts confidence for Ctrip’s partners. During her opening remarks at the Ctrip Day, Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip said, “Ctrip owes success to our staff, our partners, our investors and our 300 million users. They have guided us through the years and driven growth and success. We look forward to many more years of fruitful partnership.”  

James Liang, Co-Founder and Chairman of Ctrip, said, “I believe that China will remain one of the fastest growing economies in the world over the next decade. China’s sustained economic growth will benefit the development of the tourism industry and Ctrip will continue to implement its international strategy, working with all our partners to build a global tourism ecosystem and drive further growth through increased investment in technology, R&D and customer services. We can reach the stars!”

About Ctrip.com International, Ltd.

Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Ctrip enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related information and offering its services through an advanced transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps, Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center. Ctrip also helps customers book vacation packages and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China.

For further information, please contact:

International PR
Ctrip.com International, ltd.
Tel: (+86) 21 3406 4880 ext 196455
Email: [email protected]