2025-06-04 01:50Summary of Ctrip Conference Call Company Overview - Company: Ctrip (Trip.com) - Industry: Online Travel Agency (OTA) Key Points and Arguments Domestic Hotel Booking Trends - In Q2, domestic hotel bookings maintained double-digit growth despite a year-over-year price decline, with the decline rate narrowing [2][3] - Hotel supply increased by 5%-10% year-over-year, indicating a clear trend of normalized demand growth [2][3] - Traffic maintained a steady double-digit growth, with expectations for continued normalized growth in domestic tourism [2][4] International Travel Recovery - Outbound travel capacity has recovered to approximately 80%-85%, with free travel, hotel, and flight recovery rates at 120%-125% [2][5] - Ctrip's international version saw a growth rate of about 60% in Q1, with a target of over 50% growth for the year [2][5] - Overall revenue growth is expected to maintain around 15% for the year [2][5] Revenue Composition and Future Goals - Domestic business accounts for 60%-65% of total revenue, outbound business approximately 15%, and pure overseas business 20% [2][6] - Trip.com contributed about 13% to total revenue, exceeding pre-pandemic levels [2][6] - The goal is for international business to contribute over 50% of total revenue in the next 3-5 years, with Trip.com aiming for around 20% [2][7] Hotel Revenue Structure - Trip.com has shifted from primarily ticket sales to hotel revenue, which now exceeds 40% and is expected to increase further [2][8] - A higher hotel revenue proportion is anticipated to positively impact Ctrip's profit structure [2][8] Seasonal Trends in Travel - The peak travel season for overseas and domestic tourism differs significantly, with Q4 being the peak for Trip.com due to major holidays [2][9][10] - Q3 is also busy due to summer vacations, while Q1 and Q2 are more fragmented with various regional holidays [2][9][10] International Route Recovery - Some routes in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Thailand, have not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with recovery rates around 60%-70% [2][11] - Europe has largely recovered or surpassed 2019 levels, while some regions like Spain and Italy are still lagging [2][11] Foreign Tourist Preferences - Foreign tourists from the Asia-Pacific region prefer using Trip.com, while European and American tourists tend to use Booking.com [2][13] - Trip.com is the only platform allowing foreign tourists to book high-speed train tickets in China, providing a competitive advantage [2][15] Future Growth Expectations - Ctrip anticipates an increase in inbound tourism's contribution but aims to avoid over-reliance on the Chinese market [2][17] - The company plans to enhance brand awareness in the Asia-Pacific region to attract more foreign tourists [2][17] Financial Performance and Projections - Ctrip's international segment is expected to incur higher losses than last year, but this is within anticipated limits [2][21] - The budget and revenue expectations for 2025 align with initial forecasts, with a stable tax rate around 15% [2][22][23] Market Position and Competition - Trip.com has maintained profitability with an operating margin of 20-25% [2][26] - The company faces competition from traditional channels and aims to leverage its unique positioning and local language services to capture market share [2][27] Commission Rates and Monetization - Trip.com’s commission rates in overseas markets are lower than competitors, around 8%, to enhance competitiveness [2][28] - The company plans to gradually increase commission rates as the market expands while maintaining lower rates than competitors [2][28] Strategic Differences with Competitors - Trip.com has replicated its domestic competitive advantages in overseas markets, focusing on direct channels and strong supplier relationships [2][29][30] Additional Important Insights - The company emphasizes service quality and customer loyalty over price competition, which aligns with its long-term strategy [2][20] - The overall competitive landscape in the domestic OTA market remains stable, with a focus on enhancing customer experience rather than aggressive pricing strategies [2][20]