Ctrip, Alibaba cooperate to boost 'gastronome economy'

SHANGHAI — Ctrip, China's largest online travel platform, has signed an agreement to share its food and dining related resources with internet giant Alibaba, the company said Monday.

Gourmet List, Ctrip's food and dining app, and Koubei, a similar service operated by Alibaba, reached a strategic cooperation agreement under which they will share their comments, ratings and discount activities, Ctrip said.

Many Chinese tourists have become gastronomes when travelling abroad, exploring fine local dining venues via online tools such as Gourmet List, and, very likely, making comments on Koubei and other apps.

The cooperation will make choosing restaurants more convenient and informed for consumers, said Liu Xiaozhou of Gourmet List.

Gourmet List users will be able to access comments, ratings and other information about a restaurant on Koubei. They can also get discount coupons, Liu said.

Gourmet List contains around 20,000 fine dining restaurants worldwide, among which 70 percent are overseas, while Koubei has a list of over 1.6 million restaurants in China. Over a million comments are generated on Koubei every day.