Ctrip may be one of the most frustrated leading brothers in the Internet field

Absrtact: In the past year, Ctrip may be one of the most frustrated leading brothers in the Internet field, and multifaceted's Red Sea is now crammed into a team to disrupt. Not long ago, US tour group purchase website Travelzoo announced that will be from pure tourism information flat

In the past year, Ctrip may be the Internet field "the most frustrated leader," one of the multifaceted "Red Sea" now squeezed into a "foreign team."

Not long ago, Travelzoo announced that it would expand from a simple tourism information platform to a tour-buying area. And along with such as Taobao, Tencent, Baidu and many other large internet platforms have tried water online tourism market, competition is more focused on the impact of the platform.

According to the latest industry report published by Analysys International, Ctrip is about to end the "brand Monopoly" era in China's online tourism market. "China's online tourism market concentration has begun to decline, has emerged a variety of subdivision models." ”

Some people in the industry pointed out that group purchase gross profit margin of about 30% or below, for the habit of the gross margin of nearly 70% of the leading boss Ctrip, buy more like in the move their own cheese, because its business covers the tourism industry chain, and consumers once selected hotel group purchase, it may give up other packaged products, So for the "versatile", such as Ctrip, past experience may be a hindrance to its development.

Call center engine Power's not here.

In fact, Ctrip relies on the "Mouse + cement" model has been outdated.

According to the latest data released by CNNIC, as of the end of December 2011, China's Internet users exceeded 500 million, reached 513 million, internet penetration rate reached 38.3%, mobile phone users have reached 356 million. At this time, with tens of thousands of agents call center and modeled after the industrial process set up the operating standards, has become a burden of ctrip, technology, speed and innovation of the Internet environment to make this big guy a little unprepared.

When the status of the river is challenged and the pace of innovation is less than that of competitors, how will the enterprises in the market be confronted? Google, the leader in the Internet arena, gives its own answer: choose to open. And in the first place sat for nearly 10 years of Ctrip did not follow this law, not only not open, but choose with upstream suppliers, peer enterprises constantly fighting.

If the competition from the Old enemy art Dragon and where to go is the front battlefield (more than the price, the resources under the line), then the mobile developers are directly into Ctrip's backyard. For the former, although there are Baidu, Tencent two big admission support, but the two companies do not have any online tourism business direct experience value, it brings the superposition advantage in a short time can not be cashed. And the latter is different, mobile developers through the personal computer has never had a user experience, direct lap of Ctrip is not very high users.

Public Information display: In the early years Ctrip by virtue of its powerful call center to become the market first, of which the telephone booking contribution accounted for about 90%. It was also at that time that most of the voice in the industry seemed to be "the mainstream of online travel bookings with Chinese characteristics".

Many challenges to tour group purchase

In the penultimate day of 2011, rarely talked about rivals ' art Dragon Travel net on Weibo, CEO Cui (Weibo) issued a microblog: "The Art Dragon Hotel Group purchase in December first breakthrough 100,000 rooms, is the first in China Hotel group buying market!" Art Dragon sold the room is 4 times times Ctrip, is to go where 3 times times. ”

According to company earnings data, thanks to the explosion of hotel group purchase, in the third quarter of 2011, the first degree of art Dragon History of the online booking rate to 60%; China Tourism E-commerce Market eldest brother Ctrip, its hotel online reservation of about 40%, most of the other is through the traditional call center phone sales.

Talking about the competition with Ctrip and the strategic tactics of the art dragon itself, it seems not surprising that the art dragon has made a reversal in its hotel group purchase, "This is a natural consequence of the long-term strategic differentiation of two companies." "And the implications seem to extend to the performance and competitive offensive of many domestic online travel websites."

In October 2007, when Cui took office, it was Ctrip who dominated the hotel reservation market, its gross profit margin as high as 70%, and the revenue and market value were 7 times times and 10 times times of the Art Dragon. At that time is struggling in the years of loss of the art dragon, if the old strategy of the death of entangled Ctrip almost "dead", change strategy become necessary. Thus, Cui developed the "online Hotel strategy" and brand positioning. According to him, "This is based on the strength of the market leader Ctrip is born in the weak to develop." ”

Not only the art of the Dragon, June 2011 Just from Baidu raised 306 million U.S. dollars to where the network of strategic investment is also very strong, the company's CEO Zhungchengsu (Micro-BO) for this year's landing on the capital market is also the most hesitant.

Where does the "all-around" player road

And in the "capital" of the trend of group buying, can survive in the tourism has become a suspense.

CIC Consultant IT industry researcher Li Fangting pointed out to the daily economic news, the biggest advantage of group buying for companies and platforms is the accumulation of customer volume, group buying is also an effective way to promote corporate brand and service.

Cui a few years of business adjustment soon made a return. According to the company's earnings data, the third quarter of 2011, the volume of art hotel bookings increased by more than 42%, and Ctrip year-on-year growth of only 17%, Art Dragon has been six consecutive quarters in the hotel reservation volume year-on-year growth of more than Ctrip.

Zhu Yuhu, the Jinsha venture partner, said that in the internet age, past experience is a hindrance to development. In the last year, Ctrip has lost 4 billion dollars in market value. If the "all-inclusive" Ctrip can not adapt to the accumulation of the past 10 years based on the call center OTA operation to the real Internet e-commerce, I am afraid even the remaining 3 billion dollars can not be saved.

Throughout the years, Ctrip's development strategy, seems to have gone a completely different road, that is, using their own brand advantages of continuous product diversification. "Daily economic news" reporter found that the Ctrip station currently has 12 first-class navigation channels, from the hotel tickets to travel tickets to the business management order all inclusive, become a "all-round" player.

Insiders pointed out, "This will make Ctrip in a considerable period of time to maintain the advantages of scale, including a good reputation in the industry, high-quality consumer groups and with a number of quality hotels to establish a long-term business relationship." On the other hand, this will make its brand more and more weakening, the quality of service in various market segments is difficult to guarantee. ”