Jumeirah boosts China presence with Ctrip
Jumeirah Group has entered into a new partnership with China’s online travel giant, Ctrip.
The new Global Direct Connectivity Partnership Agreement, which was signed in Shanghai late last week, will allow Ctrip customers’ to book Jumeirah hotels, and will then see reservations delivered automatically and almost instantly to Jumeirah’s properties.
The two companies also said that once the direct technology is in place, they plan to roll-out a series of special offers and a consumer contest. Jumeirah revealed that it expects its Chinese business to grow 14% across its worldwide portfolio in 2013.
“Jumeirah has confidence that the Chinese travel and tourism market will continue its rapid growth,” said Nicholas Clayton, chief operating officer of the Jumeirah Group. “I am pleased to see Jumeirah signing the direct connect with China’s largest travel services enterprise, Ctrip.com. It indeed strengthens our China development and enables us to engage more closely with our Chinese high-end customers.”
The move marks the latest phase in Dubai-based Jumeirah’s Chinese strategy. Earlier this year, the group made Heavens Portfolio its sales and marketing representative in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and appointed a new Beijing-based business development manager, Selena Xu. It has now become the first Middle Eastern hotel group to get a direct connection with Ctrip.
Jumeirah currently has one hotel in China, Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai, but five more are scheduled to open including Jumeirah Guangzhou, Jumeirah Macau, Jumeirah Clearwater Bay Resort in Sanya, Jumeirah Hangzhou and Jumeirah Thousand Island Lake Resort in Qiandaohu.
Chinese visitors are currently Jumeirah’s sixth largest source market.