SHANGHAI, China, July 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip International, met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev during the president’s state visit to China, at Ctrip’s headquarters in Shanghai. Their discussion touched on the achievements of both countries in the tourism industry, cultural exchange, as well as future collaboration in technology, destination marketing and more.
2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bulgaria. Bulgaria is an essential participant and advocate of the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries.
During the meeting, President Rumen Radev commended Ctrip’s contributions to the tourism industries of both China and Bulgaria, while also expressing hope that Ctrip and Bulgaria will continue working together to promote and enhance cooperation in the travel industry between the two countries. Both agreed that although recent years have seen an increase in Bulgaria-bound Chinese tourists, with its rich cultural and natural attractions, Bulgaria has much more to offer.
Ctrip CEO Jane Sun remarked, “Ctrip's strength is its technology investment, one stop-shop platform, product innovation and strong customer service reliability. Our passion has always been in the firm belief that travel can improve nation-to-nation communication and people-to-people diplomacy. With its heritage, fine cuisine and stunning nature, it is our duty and delight to show more Chinese tourists the beauty of Bulgaria.”
In recent years, increasing numbers of Chinese tourists have flocked to Europe, making the region second only to Asia in terms of visitor numbers. Notably, greater numbers of Chinese tourists traveled to Central and Eastern European countries in the first half of 2019, representing 3 digit growth over same period in 2018, according to Ctrip statistics. In the first half of 2019, the bookings for vacation to Bulgaria on Ctrip increased 500% year-on-year. 89% of those travelers spent more than 7 days in Bulgaria, showing that in-depth cultural trips to Bulgaria have gained in popularity. Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv are top destination cities in Bulgaria for Chinese outbound travelers.
Building upon the already successful relationship between Ctrip and the Bulgaria, both parties anticipate working together more closely, and making use of Ctrip’s resources to share with more tourists the unique offerings of the country.
About Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China. It is the largest online consolidator of accommodations and transportation tickets in China in terms of transaction volume. Ctrip enables business and leisure travelers to make informed and cost-effective bookings by aggregating comprehensive travel related information and offering its services through an advanced transaction and service platform consisting of its mobile apps, Internet websites and centralized, toll-free, 24-hour customer service center. Ctrip also helps customers book vacation packages and guided tours. In addition, through its corporate travel management services, Ctrip helps corporate clients effectively manage their travel requirements. Since its inception in 1999, Ctrip has experienced substantial growth and become one of the best-known travel brands in China.
For further information, please contact:
International PR
Ctrip.com International, Ltd.
Email: Pr@ctrip.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a359d97-4cee-4872-bfac-951e326875f6