BEIJING and BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 27 Expedia® Corporate Travel (ECT), a full-service travel management company, today announced plans to launch service in China through a strategic partnership with eLong, Inc. Companies doing business in China will have access to fully localized service, global reporting capabilities and an in-country call center that is staffed with dedicated agents who speak both Mandarin and English.
A key part of Expedia Corporate Travel´s commitment to the Chinese marketplace is represented by a strategic partnership with eLong™, the second largest online travel company in China. Since its inception, eLong has built one of the broadest travel service distribution networks in China. The company utilizes Web-based distribution technologies and a centralized nationwide call center to provide consumers with consolidated travel information.
The launch of service in China will mark ECT´s first foray into the critical Asia-Pacific market. A dedicated local corporate travel team and call center are the first steps in a much larger strategy to meet the needs of its global client base. With the addition of China to its global offering, travel managers will be able to drive travel policy compliance across a broader range of markets.
Our entry into the Asia-Pacific region is part of our commitment to grow with the needs of our customers," said Jean-Pierre Remy, president of Expedia Corporate Travel. "Many of our existing customers and prospects already do business in China, so we have a clear opportunity to better service the needs of these clients by being where they need us to be."
ECT´s entry into China underscores the company´s focus on balancing each new market´s unique needs while maintaining a consistent, high level of service.
In addition to global content across the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world, the partnership with eLong will provide ECT´s customers with access to over 4,700 hotels in more than 330 cities across China, as well as flight options to more than 70 major cities in the country.
"It´s exciting to partner with Expedia Corporate Travel as they enter China to meet the needs of global businesses" said Guangfu Cui, CEO of eLong. "Our local market knowledge and relationships with regional suppliers, combined with ECT´s outstanding level of service designed for the corporate travel market, ensures a strong corporate travel offering for companies doing business in China and beyond."
ECT remains committed to giving customers direct access to their travel data so that they can make informed decisions about how to better manage their travel programs. As part of ECT´s new offering in China, customers will be able to choose from a range of different product and service offerings based on their needs.
Expedia Corporate Travel´s move into China increases its global presence that already includes operations in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain.
