BEIJING, July 29,
2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- "Our 2011 sales target is set
to be RMB 10 billion. To achieve this
target, we must accelerate business globalization - through our
website we need to attract more international tourists to access
tourism services in China, as well as
providing Chinese tourists with more appealing international
tourism products," said Mr. Ted Sze, CEO
and founder of www.travelzen.com, at
an interview on the sidelines of the 25th ITE & MICE
in Hong Kong.
Aiming to provide "complete online
travel services", www.travelzen.com was
launched in 2007, becoming the first online travel website
in China to provide completely
net-price, online-shopping, 24-hour global and comprehensive
services for worldwide individual, group and business travelers.
According to industry insiders, the "comprehensive online" model is
in line with the development trend in the international travel
e-commerce industry. The rise of www.travelzen.com will
pose a challenge to CTRP and eLong which now have over 60% of the
market share in China. It is likely to
put an end to traditional online travel websites which rely on the
"mouse + telephone" model.
Online Tourism Coveted by
Capital
On May
17, Tencent announced its
intention to buy shares in eLong with US$84.4
million, becoming the second largest eLong shareholder.
On June 24, Baidu
injected US$306
million into www.qunar.com to
become the largest shareholder of that online tourism website.
Before these acquisitions, www.tuniu.comraised US$50
million, lvyou.baidu.com was launched, and
Expedia acquired www.kuxun.cn. 2011
marks a year in which investors are rushing to make
capital injections into the online tourism
sector.
In this context, www.travelzen.com is
fully geared for growth and competition. It is very confident of
its positioning, marketing, systems and resource allocations. "This
year, we will focus on marketing and will invest at
least RMB 100 million in it. In
addition, we will accelerate our global presence. Currently, we
provide a ticket booking service for flights to Australia and Singapore,
and will add Europe and U.S. by the
end of this year," said Mr. Sze. This shows that the forthcoming
third investment will add a final touch to the website's
preparation for its overseas listing.
Doing "Real" E-commerce
According to statistics of the
Engroup.com, the proportion of phone travel service bookings
in China's travel market dropped from
64% in 2007 to 55% in 2010. Meanwhile, the proportion of online
bookings rose from 36% to 43%. It is safe to say that online travel
services are becoming increasingly popular.
"The main reason for this is that
the business model is based on the fact that Chinese consumers
haven't yet formed the habit of large-scale online consumption. For
call centers, hotel rooms are mainly booked by phone, and payment
is made at the front desk. Air tickets are mainly booked by phone,
and payment is made on delivery. Therefore, real e-commerce has not
yet taken over in the online travel booking business
in China," said Mr. Sze as he analyzed
the situation that call centers still contribute over 70% of the
traditional business of online service providers
in China. "Most costs and expenditures
of such traditional online travel service providers go to call
centers. For instance, the call center of CTRP has over 7,000
employees," he said.
"The individualized service model in
the traditional online travel service is undoubtedly transient and
in a transition period. It will eventually be replaced, just as the
beeper was replaced by the mobile phone, and the paper ticket
replaced by e-ticketing. As people's online consumption habits
mature, online travel services will become completely online and
fully electronic. This is also the essence of e-commerce," said Mr.
Sze. It is based on this foresight that www.travelzen.com positions
itself to be the most comprehensive internet-based travel service
provider.
Comprehensive Online
Operation together
with Globalization will Sustain the RMB10
Billion Sales Target
"Online booking is the ultimate goal
of the online travel service sector, and also the initial goal of
e-commerce. Our RMB10 billon sales
target for 2011 must be supported by complete online operation and
globalization. Online operation can help us streamline workflow and
lower our costs, while globalization can help us integrate the
market and increase market share," noted Mr. Sze.
www.travelzen.com will
spend RMB100 million in marketing
campaigns that aim at the high-end business traveler, especially
those from Europe and the U.S. who
often travel to China.
Currently, www.travelzen.com is
sponsoring many international competitions and events including the
2011 Miss Universe Contest, and participating in the 25th ITE &
MICE in Hong Kong in a bid to
attract more high-end business travelers. The top priority of the
website this year is to attract as many international tourists as
possible.
About Travelzen.com
China's most advanced
travel agency
We pioneered fully online travel
booking in China. Now, as the most
advanced online travel agency serving travelers both inbound to,
and outbound from China, Travelzen
uniquely empowers its users to select and book a full range of
domestic and international flights, hotels, events and packages
online: easily, quickly, and without any of the hassles associated
with other booking methods.
Unlike its competitors, Travelzen's
advanced booking system delivers real-time availability, 100% real
prices, and instant booking confirmation. When using Travelzen,
travelers enjoy greater freedom and flexibility to create and
personalize their travel experience than with any other travel
agency online.
Travelzen has redefined the
marketplace, and offers a genuine one-stop online travel service,
letting travelers experience a new era of online travel.
SOURCE travelzen.com