Ctrip partners with US agencies

Ctrip.com International Ltd, a leading online travel agency in China, announced it had signed a strategic partnership agreement with three US-based travel agencies in an effort to further boost Chinese tourism to the United States.

The three US agencies－Tours for Fun, Ctour and Universal Vision-signed the deal with Ctrip on Wednesday in New York, agreeing to share resources to provide better services for Chinese tourists. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"An important strategy of Ctripis to internationalize and to strategize outbound travel," said Yang Tao, Ctrip's senior vice-president and CEO of the vacation unit.

"This time, Ctrip and (its) three partners will work together to quickly implement a reintegration of resources in North America and, through the quartet's strategic partnership, enhance market share," Yang added

Chinese tourism to the US continues to grow, with 2.59 million visiting in 2015, an 18 percent increase over 2014. Spending totaled nearly $27 billion last year.

Richard Sun, CEO of Universal Vision, said that as Chinese tourists become more important to overseas destinations, strategic investments and partnerships will promote the development of his company.