Ctrip’s James Liang commences 2019 stating aim for the company to lead in innovation as well as size

Speaking at the Ctrip Group’s annual meeting in Shanghai on January 19 – held under the slogan: “Joining Hands For Success” – co-founder and Executive Board Chairman James Liang outlined his goals for the company’s future.

Mr. Liang sought to outline the ongoing success of the company in the wider economic context, stating: “I’m very optimistic about the long-term prospects of the Chinese economy, especially China’s tourism industry. This year’s data shows that despite the downward pressure on the overall economy, the tourism industry is still very healthy, outpacing the overall economic growth rate. This trend will continue and become more pronounced in the future.” Tourism, he furthered, would also play a key role in China’s ongoing economic developments, as it continues to shift towards a more services and consumption-driven model.

“I am very proud to tell you that in the past quarter our global GMV that is, gross merchandise volume, has become the highest in the industry. So you can be proud to tell your friends that Ctrip is the biggest company in the best industry”, he furthered.

Beyond simply focusing on growth, however, Liang also stressed the need to innovate in order to establish its place in the field: “In the past year, we have made many efforts in innovation, such as high-speed rail tours, package services, and opened thousands of online and offline stores.” Liang also noted that Ctrip managed to make strides in its core competitiveness in 2018. “In the future, we must continue to work hard to create the best technology, the best services, and the best products.”

For article source and the full text of James Liang’s speech please see the following link.

Image source: Ahh …. tourists … by Praytino Source: Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)