Didi, Booking ink strategic partnership

Didi Chuxing, a leading one-stop mobile transportation platform, announced on Tuesday it has inked a strategic partnership with Booking Holdings, the global leader in online accommodations and travel e-commerce.

As part of their broader cooperation, Booking Holdings has also invested $500 million in Didi, which is accelerating steps to explore overseas markets this year and aims to take on its arch rival Uber Technologies Inc in the international arena.

Under the deal, the two sides will leverage their technology capabilities and local operating expertise to offer more comprehensive and personalized quality travel experiences across the world.

Specifically, Booking Holdings brands will have the ability to offer on-demand car service through their apps powered by Didi and Didi customers will have the option to book hotels through Booking.com or Agoda.

Stephen Zhu, vice-president for strategy at Didi, said, "Building on its leadership and expertise in the global online travel market, Booking is championing a digital revolution of travel experiences. We look forward to seamlessly connecting every segment of the journey and improving everyone's traveling experience through more collaborative innovation with the Booking brands on product, technology and market development."

Todd Henrich, SVP and head of corporate development for Booking, said, "Didi has clear advantages in technology and scale in the shared mobility industry. We believe together we can offer smarter transportation services to our brands' customers, and help Didi's customers with seamless access to the products and services the brands in our company provide throughout the world."

Booking has users and partners in close to 220 countries, while a large majority of Didi's 550 million users are in China.