ChinaTravelNews - Ctrip announced that it acquired Guangzhou-based rail ticket search engine and booking software Suanya Technologies for about RMB100 million (approx: US$16 million).
Suanya was launched by Jian Li and Liang Wang in Guangzhou to specialize in train ticket search and reservation services. The company has produced the well-known Chi Heng Train Ticket and Reservation Assistant app to reach a broad user base. Users can monitor ticket availability and search information, and get the latest ticket news from railway companies as well as pay online for rail tickets via Suanya’s platform.
Suanya's Chi Heng Train Ticket App
Sunaya has leveraged its market reputation and average daily bookings to become the second largest rail ticket booking company after China Railway’s platform 12306.cn. ChinaTravelNews has learned that Suanya already issues over 300,000 tickets per day. Its two free apps have gained a loyal following and have taken the lead in the sector in the number of downloads and active users.
Ctrip said it was happy to spend RMB100 million to acquire such an excellent company that enjoys stable booking volume and a great reputation. It will forge a strong partnership with Suanya to bolster Ctrip’s leading position in the air ticket, rail ticket and mass transit segments. Ctrip will also leverage its huge user base, vast resources and powerful platform to facilitate greater success for Suanya.
Suanya also hopes to drive more traffic to Ctrip after the acquisition. Railway passenger volume in China reached 1.21715 billion persons in the first half of 2015, up 9.1% y-o-y, while passenger volume on Xian, Nanning, Kunming rail bureaus and Qinghai-Tibet Railway exceeded annual estimates by 50%, according to China Rail. (Translation by David)
