Core Insights - Trip.com Group (携程) reported strong financial results for the first half of 2025, with total revenue of 28.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 21%, and a net profit of 9.194 billion yuan, up 17% [1][2] Group 1: Financial Performance - The company's daily net earnings have surged to 50.54 million yuan, which is 2.8 times higher than the pre-pandemic average of 17.8 million yuan in 2019 [1][7] - Operating profit for the first half of 2025 reached 7.665 billion yuan, reflecting a 27% year-on-year growth [1] - The second quarter net income was 14.8 billion yuan, a 16% increase year-on-year and a 7% increase quarter-on-quarter [5] Group 2: International Business Growth - International business has been a significant growth driver, with inbound travel bookings more than doubling year-on-year, particularly from South Korea and Southeast Asia [3][4] - The international brand Trip.com saw total bookings increase by over 60%, with inbound travel bookings growing over 100% [3] - Trip.com has established a global hotel coverage of 1.2 million properties across more than 200 countries and regions [3] Group 3: Domestic Market Performance - Domestic travel saw 3.285 billion trips in the first half of 2025, a 20.6% increase year-on-year, with total spending reaching 3.15 trillion yuan, up 15.2% [5] - The average price of travel services has decreased, but the overall resilience of domestic travel remains strong [5][6] - The company is focusing on enhancing service capabilities and expanding inbound tourism [6] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Compared to global OTA giants like Booking Holdings and Expedia, Trip.com has outpaced them in revenue and profit growth [4] - Booking's revenue for the first half of 2025 was approximately 82.45 billion yuan, while Expedia's was about 48.32 billion yuan, both showing negative growth rates [4] - Trip.com’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) market share in the hotel and travel market is estimated at 56%, significantly higher than its competitors [8] Group 5: Strategic Initiatives - The company is transitioning from high growth to high-quality development, focusing on inbound tourism expansion and service enhancement [6] - Trip.com has opened its first inbound tourism service center at Beijing Capital International Airport, providing multilingual assistance and exclusive booking services [6] - The company is leveraging AI technology to improve user experience, including a new AI-driven itinerary planner [6][7] Group 6: Industry Challenges - Despite Trip.com's success, many of its platform partners, including airlines and hotels, are facing significant financial difficulties, with major airlines reporting substantial losses [7] - The hotel industry has seen a decline in average revenue per available room (RevPAR) and a significant number of hotel closures [7] - Airlines are attempting to counteract OTA pressures by promoting direct sales through their own platforms [8]