Challenges in Marketing Strategy of Online Travel Booking Industry in China : -A case study of Ctrip.com and Qunar.com

Abstract: Information technology plays an important role in the hospitality and tourismindustry. The internet has reshaped the distribution channels and thus suppliers andconsumers can contact directly. It also changes consumers searching and bookingbehaviors. So information technology brings online travel agents some challenges inthe marketing strategy.Literature Review includes the theoretical background of online travel bookingindustry and summaries the previous researches in the field of hospitality and tourismindustry. The analytical framework of this study mainly includes the impact ofinformation technology on the Porter’s five forces model which was used forgathering and analyzing the empirical data and the PEST model. Nowadays,intelligent travel is highly efficient and trendy.In conducting this study, I adopted a qualitative approach to analyze challengesfaced by online travel agents. I chose two sample companies Ctrip.com andQunar.com from China. The empirical data were mainly collected from twosemi-structured interviews and secondary data such as the official website andtravel-related information.The conclusion is that the information technology has a great impact on thetourism enterprises. The competition is fierce and consumers are more demanding.Through cooperating and integrating travel-related information resources, the tourismenterprises can provide better products and professional services to consumers andimprove their travel experiences.