Our Group.
Travel is a transformative experience that has the power to change lives. It opens our minds, broadens our horizons, and connects us with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
We're passionate about travel, and we're committed to making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Since our foundation in 1999, we've believed that travel should be a seamless and stress-free experience. This is why we are constantly innovating and building products, solutions, partnerships and leveraging technology to provide the perfect trip for everyone.
At Trip.com Group, we're committed to promoting sustainable and responsible travel practices, and we're dedicated to working closely with our customers and partners to remove barriers and establish connections at every opportunity. We believe that it's our responsibility to serve the needs of our travellers, support the communities that rely on us, and foster greater connection and understanding among individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Embark on a journey of discovery and adventure with us!
Key figures.
Covering.
Development history.
1999-2002
Start the journey
2010-2015
Global perspective
2019
The birth of the Group
2020-2022
Navigating the pandemic
2023 & Beyond
Beyond global expansion
Start the journey
Our journey began in China in 1999, when our co-founders combined their expertise in travel and technology to launch the Ctrip website (www.ctrip.com), a “click-and-brick” model combining information technology with traditional travel services.
Our early years were a time to develop our vision and establish how we wanted to operate. The name “Ctrip” stands for “Customer”, “Teamwork”, “Responsibility”, “Integrity”, and “Partner,” the most important foundations of our work. We are always customer-centric in our outlook, while working together cooperatively and building on the strengths of our diverse and global team. Since the start, we have valued proactivity, truthfulness, open communication, and win-win partnerships.
Surging ahead
The winning combination of technology and traditional travel services took off, and by 2003, Ctrip was delivering remarkable growth. We capped the year with a successful listing on NASDAQ on December 9. We then kept the momentum going, growing our hotel reservation and air ticketing businesses, and launching new travel products. Our expanded business needed a new home, and we moved into the brand new Ctrip headquarters in Shanghai.
Giving back to society and making positive contributions to the planet is part of our DNA. So, in addition to developing our business during these years, we began to take on more corporate social responsibility projects.
Global perspective
These years were all about looking forward, as we embraced new technologies and took our first steps into the world of international travel. We launched our “mobile-first” strategy in 2010, enabling travellers to start making bookings through their mobile devices, which quickly became the norm in China and then the world. We also expanded our services to help our customers explore the world, with bookings for international flights, overseas hotels, and global attraction tickets.
By 2014, we had grown into the No. 1 travel group in China, and our presence in the Chinese market expanded beyond Ctrip. Between 2014 and 2015, we invested USD 200 million in Tongcheng Tourism and also made a strategic investment in Elong Travel. Through a share swap with Baidu, we also became the largest shareholder of travel company Qunar. At the same time, while we strengthened our business presence in China, we were also linking up with the global travel market and continuing to deepen a strategic relationship with Priceline.
Rapid growth
Over the next three years, we grew by leaps and bounds, expanding internationally, increasing business volume, and achieving new milestones in GMV (Gross Merchandise Value). Through mergers and acquisitions, we widened our global footprint, investing in India’s largest travel company, MakeMyTrip, acquiring leading travel marketplace Skyscanner, and adding Trip.com to our family and transforming it into a global OTA platform.
Due to our significant expansion and thriving business, we made it onto China’s Fortune 500 list for the first time, and also became the largest OTA in the world in terms of GMV.
The birth of the Group
We embarked on an exciting journey in 2019, as we officially rebranded ourselves as Trip.com Group and adopted the ticker symbol "TCOM". Alongside this transformation, we unveiled our G2 strategy, which centres around the core values of "Great Quality and Globalisation", to shape the future of our business.
In this year, we forged a strategic partnership with TripAdvisor, and took a significant step by becoming the majority shareholder in MakeMyTrip, solidifying our position in the travel market.
Our dedication and commitment were recognised on a global scale when we were ranked 8th in the prestigious Fortune Top 50 Future Awards.
Navigating the pandemic
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges for travellers and the travel industry worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At Trip.com Group, we responded quickly and effectively by launching the Safeguard Cancellation Guarantee in February 2020 to support our customers during these uncertain times. We also established a RMB200 million Disaster Relief Fund and launched the Travel Revival V plan and Travel On Initiative to provide support to our industry partners.
Despite the challenges during this time, we reached a significant milestone in 2021 with Trip.com Group’s listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, creating value for society and our global investors.
Moving forward, we continue to innovate and adapt to the changing landscape, ensuring that travellers can explore the world with confidence and peace of mind.
Beyond global expansion
2023 marked a remarkable year for Trip.com Group as we triumphed over the challenges of the pandemic and celebrated the recovery of the global travel market. We proudly achieved a GMV of USD 160 billion, making us the world's largest OTA in terms of GMV.
Together with our industry partners, we are excited to shape a vibrant and prosperous future, unlocking new possibilities and redefining travel experiences, the focus of our new Envision Annual Global Partner Conference.
Join us in embracing a bright future as we continue to lead the way for the travel industry today and tomorrow.