Ctrip comes first again for the 4th time in a row in the 2017 Top 20 Chinese Tourism Groups list released by China Tourism Academy and China Tourism Association on December 20.
The companies are ranked by annual transaction volume and operating income. The ranking list shows that the top 20 companies have collectively turned over 1.53 trillion yuan this year, an increase of 400 billion yuan over the previous year. Ctrip has emerged as the most important player of China’s tourism industry, from amongst more than 20,000 tourist attractions, 20,000 travel agencies, 300,000 accommodation suppliers and millions of companies involved in travel-related business.
As more and more Chinese consumers book products and solve problems through travel apps, Chinese OTAs continue to outpace traditional tourism industry and enterprises. Online travel companies featuring innovative technologies and services have become a major force in meeting the needs of tourists and driving the development of the industry.
As the largest tourism group in the country, Ctrip serves hundreds of millions of domestic and outbound tourists each year, and its official app has been downloaded over 3 billion times by customers. With the most comprehensive products and one-stop solutions available for 24 hours, Ctrip provides multiple assurances including six-level travel insurance, new standards for tour groups, advance payment system and travel SOS.
OTAs are also trying to tap into the offline market by turning to a new retail model through physical stores, and Ctrip, in particular, has so far established more than 6,000 stores on the street.
Ctrip’s globalization strategy is also picking up speed. From the investment in Indian OTA MakeMyTrip and the top three tour operators in North America to the acquisition of the UK-based travel search platform Skyscanner, Ctrip is leading China's exploration into the travel space worldwide.
