China's high-speed rail network boosts tourism business

China's online travel giant Ctrip plans to tap into a tourism market worth billions, by launching a tailored service channel for tours along the country's high-speed railway, Economic Daily reported on Sept. 19.

The Nasdaq-listed company recently started a sub-platform on its mobile application, providing a one-stop service for those who travel using China's high-speed rail, including hotel booking, car rental, ticketing services and shopping guides.

Sun Bo, senior vice president of Ctrip, said that the company takes the lead in regards to providing services that satisfy the diverse travel needs of tourists. Experts also believe that the new channel, which combines tour guides and tourism products, can meet tourists' needs of consumption during their stay in destinations that have access to high-speed rail.

China has been expanding its high-speed railway network in recent years. By the end of 2017, China's high-speed rail has travelled 25,000 kilometers, ranking first globally, and high-speed rail is expected to reach 80 percent of major cities by 2020.

It's predicted that the high-speed rail travel industry in China will bring in 100 billion yuan (about $14.6 billion), and by 2025, more than half of the expected three billion passenger trips using high-speed rail will be made for travelling purposes, said Liang Jianzhang, co-founder of the largest online travel service provider in China.