Ctrip, China’s largest OTA, has officially opened its doors in Singapore. The move signals the company’s regional ambitions with localised websites that went live earlier this year in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Ctrip, China’s largest OTA, has officially opened its doors in Singapore. The move signals the company’s regional ambitions with localised websites that went live earlier this year in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Explaining the company’s strategy for locating its South-east Asian headquarters in Singapore, Benjamin Chua, Ctrip’s head of marketing for South-east Asia, cited the island nation’s role as a gateway to the region.
Despite its small population size, he said there were 8.6 million outbound travellers from Singapore, 89% of whom booked a flight online and 83% booked a hotel online. It’s small but a high frequency market, he said. Another attraction is its positioning as a transit point for intra-Asia travel.
Chua added, “Singapore has an 87% smartphone penetration, three world class airport terminals and two regional cruise centres. This makes it a natural choice for us to locate our business here.”
Its entry into Singapore and South-east Asia will be closely watched by competitors. Valued at about US$10.4 billion, Ctrip is not to be messed with. Its number one position in the world’s most-sought-after market makes it one to watch.
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http://www.webintravel.com/ctrip-to-bank-on-product-and-customer-service-to-succeed-in-south-east-asia/