Oral History of Online Travel: Ctrip’s Different Path to China’s Consumers
Skift Take
Ctrip did its own thing and adapted to conditions in China when it was created but its founders were very much aware of what was going on in the rest of the world, including the development of search engines, as well as Travelocity, Expedia and Priceline. One of the things that differentiated Ctrip from the outset was it appreciated the outsized importance of technology.
Skift launched its largest and most ambitious project yet, The Definitive Oral History of Online Travel, on June 1.
In nearly 40,000 words founders, CEOs, other executives and insiders tell a story in their own words about the creation of Internet giants such as Expedia, Priceline, Travelocity, Orbitz, TripAdvisor and more.
Not all of the interviews fit into the big story so we are publishing standalone stories that offer deeper insight into information we collected during the three-month research process.
Read the Definitive Oral History of Online Travel
Ctrip started out as a TripAdvisor-like review site in 1999 and soon developed a small hotel business. Among the marketing tactics, Ctrip staff began handing out advertisements for the hotels at the airport in Shanghai and rail stations. This didn't happen in isolation: Ctrip's founders were well-aware of what was going on in Silicon Valley at the time and took encouragement from the growth and development of Travelocit
