Hey China! Trip.com readies for take-off with livestreams, AI travel

Trip.com, China’s largest online travel platform, felt so much pain from the coronavirus outbreak that CEO Jane Sun and Chairman James Liang stopped taking salaries to help the business cope with losses.

Now, the dark clouds are slowly disappearing.

COO Schubert Lou tells Hey China! “we are seeing an uptrend and signs of recovery”.

It comes as the company has just unveiled its « Trip.com LIVE » series of in-destination livestreams and online promotions to revitalise global travel:

“The AI way of travel will be the future”

He also talks about the acquisition plans of the firm, which listed on the NASDAQ in 2003 and is comprised of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar:

“Our vision is to be the No. 1 player in 5-10 years” Schubert also discusses domestic competition from players such as Alibaba or Meituan, and government policies to boost the tourism industry. And: will we be able to book a tour package for a space mission any time soon?