Reform helps tourism sector spread its wings

Online and on message: Lin Zhizhuo

People's views of outbound tourism and ways of booking tour packages have changed in recent decades because of rapid developments in the economy and information technology, according to Lin Zhizhuo, deputy general manager with Ctrip's outound tourism department.

"The emergence of the internet greatly affected customers' behavior. They now use social media platforms such as WeChat and Taobao, and online travel service platforms, such as Ctrip," the 35-year-old said.

"In the 1990s, people booked outbound tour packages at brick and mortar travel agencies. The process was time-consuming because the product provider usually called or faxed the hotel and airline ticket supplier to check if the product the traveler had chosen was available."

He added that around the turn of the century, only a few young people reserved flight tickets and hotels for outbound visits online.

"We were recognized as a good choice for these novelty-seeking people and as offbeat by traditional travel agencies as there were few service providers doing business online. But the rapid development of information technology brought us great benefits around 2013, and we saw the number of rivals rise," he said.

Lin recalled that about 20 years ago, most people who booked packages online were in their 30s, with many hoping to spend their honeymoons in foreign destinations. "Things have changed, and now seniors have embraced the internet with a more open mind," he said.

"Traditional travel agencies had limited capacity to receive visitors. Travelers now can get to know everything including flight tickets, hotels, and the attractions of their dream foreign destinations just by tapping their mobile devices whenever and wherever they want."

Ctrip, according to Lin, will offer consultation services both online and in its 1,000 brick and mortar stores in the near future.