Ctrip.com to Distribute 250,000 Shanghai World Expo Tickets

Mainland China-based online travel service provider Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (NASDAQ: CTRP) has been authorized to sell 250,000 entrance tickets for the World Expo 2010 to be held in Shanghai, citing a report.

30,000 of the tickets will be sub-distributed by ezTravel.com.tw, said the Taiwan online travel site's general manager, adding that his company accepts 30 to 40 groups of tourists from the mainland every month, with 50% of them introduced by Ctrip.com.

Ctrip.com acquired part of ezTravel.com.tw's shares as early as 2005, and increased its stake in the Taiwan website to nearly 20% not long ago, according to insiders. Besides, the two companies have agreed to cooperate in technology platform building, service development, and procurement.

Partly thanks to the help from the mainland online travel service giant, ezTravel.com.tw achieved operating revenue of close to CNY 4 billion in the first three quarters of 2009, compared to about CN Y 5 billion in the entire 2009, according to the above general manager.

Source: news.ccidnet.com (October 15, 2009)

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