A&O Group relies on China:Partnership with online mediator Ctrip is at the ready

From February 2017 onwards, A&O HOTELS and HOSTELS will sell all room categories through China's largest online travel agency Ctrip. The hotel group is expecting an increase of 13 per cent compared to 2016 associated with the interface.

"Both partners are connected with a 2way XML interface via the channel manager Autoupdate PMS. Availabilities are loaded in real time. Through direct online sales, restrictions such as time shifts or service unattainability are minimized.

China's market potential for the A&O budget chain

"China is an extremely interesting market for us. If you look at the development of the past few years, you know that for Chinese tourists, Europe is the number one destination for long haul journeys. Above all, the online booking patterns – especially in cities like Hong Kong – plays into our hands for European city breaks. According to the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), Germany's market share of 18 percent is the highest among trips through Europe", explains Phillip Winter, Chief Marketing Officer of A&O.

Chinese prefer online transactions

Constantin Rehberg, Head of E-Commerce at the A&O chain, adds: "Our overnight stays are growing at double-digit rates annually, especially in Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg and Berlin. The online business accounts for almost 78 per cent of the total booking volume. A big plus certainly is our website offer in Chinese since 2012."

Ctrip is China's largest online portal for affordable hotel bookings, airline tickets, package tours and corporate travel. The online portal regards its largest market coverage in China and Taiwan as well as in the autonomous special administrative areas of Hong Kong and Macau.

Interested readers can find further information at https://www.aohostels.com/en/ and http://ctrip.com/