WHAT IT IS?
CTrip (worldwide known as Trip.com Group) – one of the market leaders in China’s online travel agency sector.
CTrip provides services in all aspects of travel:
1. Accommodation Reservations – Booking for a wide range of properties, including hotels, resorts, hostels, and apartments (over 1.7 million global offerings). 2. Transportation Ticketing – Booking for flights (from over 600 airlines), trains, long-distance buses, and ferry tickets.
3. Packaged Tours – Organized tours that include transportation, accommodation, and sometimes guided activities.
4. Corporate Travel Management – Services for managing business travel for companies (e.g., Ctrip Corporate Travel).
5. In-Destination Services – Booking for attraction tickets, local tours, tickets for events (concerts, sports, ), car rentals, and airport transfers.
6. Other Service – Online advertising and financial services like travel insurance.
According to industry leaders in 2025 AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) are fundamentally disrupting China’s online travel sector. Industry leaders immerse in two key areas: automating operations and enhancing the user interface. Trip.com’s newly upgraded Trip Planner tool is poised to be a game-changer by letting users start planning a trip from any idea or moment of inspiration. Designed for personalization, the planner needs only three inputs from the user (destination, duration, and travel style) to generate a customized, intelligent itinerary. The AI then integrates real-time information—from pricing and availability to dining and attractions—and uses millions of data points to ensure every suggestion is practical and locally relevant. A key benefit is the system’s ability to proactively avoid common travel issues (like inefficient transfers) and verify the suitability of destinations. To ensure flexibility, users can fine-tune their itinerary on an interactive map or consult with a human travel expert directly in the app. CTrip is strengthening its AI model by allowing users to easily generate content using text or even a single image, leading to better suggestions based on browsing and booking behavior.
WHY IT´S COOL?
- Trip Planner tool is an agentic AI which is supported by strong service capabilities and that guides travellers throughout the entire booking process.
- AI seamlessly integrates real-time information, including transportation, accommodation, dining, and attraction options, with complete details on pricing and availability.
- The entire journey, created by the Trip Planner, could be previewed on an interactive map, allowing users to freely adjust routes and schedules, either on their own or with the AI’s help.
WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?
The Chinese outbound travel market is experiencing strong growth, with a Sabre report showing a 392% global increase in outbound travel in 2024, though still below pre-pandemic levels. Trip Planner has significant growth potential due to the growth of the outbound Chinese tourism market, the company’s strategic investments in international markets and strategic acquisitions, and its increasing focus on technology like AI and innovative user engagement through content platforms. The Trip Planner also benefits from a strong existing infrastructure, and a broad partner network.
Thaleia Bamiha
Science of the Time