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MoonFox Analysis | Ctrip Leverages Increased Investment in Senior Travel, Cross-Border Tourism, and AI as New Engines for Growth

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About us: Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) established in 2011, is a leading customer engagement and marketing technology service provider in China. Its business includes notification services, marketing growth, development tools, and data products. As its sub-brand, MoonFox Data is a leading expert in data insights and analysis services across all scenarios, aiming to help companies gain market insights and empower precise decision-making.

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — At the end of August 2024, Ctrip released its unaudited Financial Report for Q2 and the first half of the fiscal year. As a leading platform in the online travel industry, Ctrip achieved revenue of RMB 12.8 billion in Q2, showing growth both YoY and QoQ. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 3.833 billion, with a YoY increase exceeding 500%. Analyzing by business segment, hotel bookings, and transportation ticketing, as the main revenue contributors, showed steady growth. The tourism and vacation segment demonstrated remarkable growth rates. By focusing on the needs of the elderly, cross-border tourism, and overseas business, Ctrip has effectively formed a new growth engine. From a long-term strategic perspective, Ctrip has further increased investment in AI and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), which is expected to consolidate its competitive moat in terms of products, technology, and user experience.

I.     Stable Development of Tourism & Hotel Ticketing Business, Rapid Growth in Tourism and Vacation Revenue

According to the financial report, Ctrip achieved a YoY revenue growth of 13.55% in Q2 of 2024, reaching RMB 12.788 billion (USD 1.8 billion). Benefiting from the increasingly robust cultural tourism consumption market, Q2 revenue also saw a 7% QoQ increase compared to Q1.

Ctrip’s Revenue and Growth from 2022 Q3 to 2024 Q2

Date

Revenue (Billion RMB)

YoY Growth

2022Q3

69

29 %

2022Q4

50

7 %

2023Q1

92

124 %

2023Q2

113

180 %

2023Q3

137

99 %

2023Q4

103

105 %

2024Q1

119

29 %

2024Q2

128

14 %

Data Source: Corporate Financial Reports
Data Cycle: 2022 Q3 – 2024 Q2

MoonFox data shows that as of August 2024, the Ctrip App maintained its leading position in the online travel industry’s MAU rankings with 110.7 million monthly active users. Observing the trends in active users, Ctrip’s UV advantage as a leading OTA platform remained solid in 2024.

Ctrip App Monthly Active Users and Penetration Rate from January to August 2024

Date

MAU (10,000)

MAU Penetration Rate

January

10,531.1

8.6 %

February

11,083.8

9.0 %

March

9,958.2

8.1 %

April

10,738.9

8.7 %

May

9,925.7

8.0 %

June

9,882.2

7.9 %

July

10,744.2

8.6 %

August

11,071.6

8.8 %

Data Source: MoonFox iApp;
Data Cycle: January 2024 – August 2024

Analyzing by business segment, hotel bookings and transportation ticketing remain Ctrip’s two main revenue pillars, accounting for 39.8% and 38.3% of total revenue respectively. The tourism and vacation business showed outstanding growth performance, with a 42% YoY increase and a 16% QoQ increase in Q2, reaching revenue of RMB 1 billion. From a YoY perspective, all of Ctrip’s business segments achieved significant growth, especially in accommodation bookings and tourism and vacation services. This demonstrates the strong pull effect brought by the comprehensive recovery of the tourism market, as well as Ctrip’s capability as an industry-leading platform to meet demand and achieve growth.

II.    Intensifying Focus on Elderly Tourism and Cross-border Travel Sectors, Forging New Growth Engines

Since the Q2, Ctrip has intensified its focus on the Elderly Tourism sector, launching a new brand “Ctrip Elderly Club” to provide comprehensive travel services for users aged 50 and above, including specialized products, travel benefits, and exclusive customer service. Subsequently, they upgraded the platform with a Family Card function, enabling children to make bookings and plan itineraries on behalf of their elderly relatives, refining services based on the pain points of senior users on OTA platforms. As of July, Ctrip Elderly Club has launched over 700 elderly tourism products covering more than 40 city destinations nationwide, with nearly half being debut routes or exclusive products, achieving diversification of elderly tourism SKUs and customization for the target demographic. According to MoonFox iApp data, the proportion of Ctrip users aged 46 and above in August 2024 increased compared to the same period last year, exceeding 17%.

Age Distribution of Ctrip App Active Users in August 2023 and August 2024

Age Range

August 2023

August 2024

≤25 years

23.2 %

24.8 %

26-35 years

30.8 %

29.4 %

36-45 years

23.2 %

24.8 %

≥46 years

30.8 %

29.4 %

Data Source: MoonFox iApp;
Data Cycle: August 2023 – August 2024

According to reports, Ctrip Elderly Club served over one million elderly travelers with a GMV of RMB 1.6 billion within 2 months of its establishment. Ctrip stated that it will focus on enhancing user travel experiences and building one-stop service capabilities, planning to collaborate with scenic spots, hotels, airlines, and other entities to launch comprehensive tourism products and services for elderly tourists, further tapping into the potential of the Elderly Tourism market.

On another front, capitalizing on favorable policies such as the 144-hour visa-free transit and the accelerating growth of cross-border tourism, Ctrip has intensified its business layout by introducing convenient inbound tourism products and services, continuously developing cross-border tourism products and routes, partnering with hotels nationwide to launch package products, and expanding global ticketing services. Financial reports show that Ctrip’s inbound tourism bookings in the first half of 2024 increased by nearly 200% YoY, accounting for 25% of revenue on Ctrip’s overseas platforms. Notably, outbound hotel and flight booking businesses have recovered to pre-pandemic levels for the same period. To date, Ctrip has established a global tourism ecosystem network, achieving extensive coverage of global hotels, airlines, travel agencies, and scenic spots in its supply chain, and plans to continue deepening its presence in key overseas markets and expanding its international business layout.

In the long term, we anticipate that the tourism consumption potential of the elderly demographic will continue to be unleashed, and the global tourism market will accelerate its recovery. Ctrip’s strategic moves to deepen its layout in elderly tourism, inbound & outbound travel, and overseas business are expected to enable it to establish advantages in the niche markets of silver tourism and cross-border travel, thereby securing broader space for performance growth in the future.

III. Investing in Performance & Travel and AI & Tourism: Driving Upgrades through Product and Technological Innovation

In Q2, Ctrip’s GMV for performance-related tourism products increased by over 70% YoY. Ctrip’s relevant strategic layout encompasses various forms including tourism combined with concerts, music festivals, sporting events, and film festivals, catering to young users’ travel demands oriented around performances and entertainment. From an industry development perspective, innovating tourism formats through a “Cultural Tourism+” model has become a crucial trend in the current industry. By deeply integrating tourism products and services with the cultural and entertainment industry, this approach achieves user-side experience innovation, fulfilling the need for cultural resonance and immersive experiences in travel scenarios. For platforms, this strategy facilitates benefit enhancement through resource sharing and complementary advantages, thereby promoting industrial upgrading and development.

Beyond the “Cultural Tourism” model, Ctrip’s innovation focus also centers on the implementation of AI technology in travel scenarios. Previously, Ctrip had developed its proprietary vertical large model for tourism, Ctrip Wendao, as well as the AI travel assistant TripGenie launched by Trip.com, establishing capabilities to provide travel content and services based on AI technology. During the Q2 earnings communication meeting, Ctrip adopted an AI Agent persona to communicate with investors, showcasing its AI technological capabilities and introducing its content product layout in the “AI & Tourism” direction – “Travel Hotspots” and Reputation Rankings. Both are AI-powered features based on big data from user search behaviors and reviews, intelligently providing users with inspiration and decision-making assistance across dimensions such as travel destinations, hotel dining services, and more.

To date, Ctrip’s AI capabilities have permeated pre-trip inspiration, in-trip planning and decision-making, and after-sales service stages. According to financial report data, Ctrip’s product research and development expenses have consistently achieved YoY growth in 2024, reaching RMB 3.1 billion and 3 billion in Q1 and Q2 respectively, maintaining a high level and accounting for over 20% of net revenue.

Ctrip’s Product Research and Development Expenses from 2023 Q3 to 2024 Q2

Date

Product R&D Expenses (Billion RMB)

YoY Growth Rate

2023Q3

36

44 %

2023Q4

29

39 %

2024Q1

31

16 %

2024Q2

30

1 %

Data Source: Corporate Financial Reports
Data Cycle: 2023 Q3 – 2024 Q2

Against the backdrop of intensifying competition in the travel market, investment in AI technology development and application exploration will help provide more intelligent, convenient, and personalized services, matching diverse travel needs and amplifying the professional service capabilities and efficiency advantages of OTA platforms to address cross-industry competition. Ctrip has stated that it will continue to invest in artificial intelligence to promote product and service optimization and business innovation. In the future, Ctrip is expected to leverage its AI & Tourism capabilities to improve user experiences, enhance operational efficiency, and penetrate more niche markets including overseas segments, thereby consolidating its position in the OTA industry.

Our Information:

Website: https://www.moonfox.cn/
Contact number: 400-888-0936

Contact us:

Name: Felix
Title: Director of Sales, Industry Insight Division
Tel: +86 -13366276383
Email: zhouzt@jiguang.cn
Address: 608/F, Tower B, Wintrust Center, No. 1 Xidawang Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Name: Janette Zhou
Title: Marketing Manager
Tel: +86-13928239332
Email: zhouxt@jiguang,cn
Address: 608/F, Tower B, Wintrust Center, No. 1 Xidawang Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

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SOURCE Aurora Mobile Ltd

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Canton Fair Buyers Alliance Launched as the 140th Edition Opens

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October 18, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 15, the Canton Fair Buyers Alliance was officially launched at the Canton Fair Complex, marking a significant milestone as the fair celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.

More than 140 overseas buyers attended the launch ceremony, highlighting the fair’s enduring role as a bridge connecting global commerce with China’s export sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Luís Vilariça, CEO of Joinco, Import & Export, Ltd., discussed his company’s long-standing relationship with the Canton Fair. Drawing on years of participation, he reflected on the growth opportunities created through cooperation with Chinese suppliers and highlighted the fair’s role in supporting international business development and global trade exchanges.

The ceremony also featured a joint declaration by alliance members. Representatives from five member companies read the statement in their respective native languages, underscoring the international character of the new organization. Additional members sent video congratulatory messages, joining the celebration and witnessing the official launch of the alliance.

The Canton Fair Buyers Alliance represents one of the fair’s key service innovations. Designed primarily for Fortune Global 500 companies, buyers from the world’s top 250 retailers and leading sourcing enterprises across a diverse range of markets, the alliance aims to offer members a platform for information sharing and resource coordination. The first cohort of alliance members includes 58 companies from 32 countries and regions across 5 continents. Through the alliance, members will gain access to a range of priority benefits spanning four major areas: services, events, resources and information.

 For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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Bioethanol from human hair – Indian start-up’s solution to rising prices of grains and sugar

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October 18, 2026

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GUJARAT, India, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In what could be called the beginning of the 5G (fifth-generation) of bioethanol or non-cellulosic bioethanol or non-sugar-based biofuels, an Indian start-up, Techofest Global, based out of Gujarat, has developed its own, indigenous, and patented technology for the production of bioethanol from waste human hair. Such processes would significantly reduce the employment of sugars, grains, and agricultural residues, which form the classical first- and second-generation bioethanol feedstocks. As a result, the rising fuel-vs.-food/fodder debate is anticipated to reduce, and instead, ethanol produced from municipal/industrial waste, after trials, can supplement the current supply being used as blends with presently retailed fossil fuels (E20, E27, etc.). 

As stated by Dr. Ravi, the founder-CEO of Techofest Global, the strategic priority and the USP of the start-up is industrial symbiosis, which, typically, involves an ecosystem of up-cycling/valorising the effluents of an industry, thereby creating a value-chain for residues often lacking an end-of-life. With more than three decades of experience in designing customized nuclear fusion reactors for international programmes, such as ITER, JET/UKAEA and SST-1, Dr. Ravi, a seasoned mechanical engineer, spearheads the start-up’s patented technologies’ scale-up and commercialization.

Two biochemical engineers, Dr. Navnit – the former CTO, and Dr. Kabilan – the former CEO of Biomakerz, Chennai, are the brains behind the current technology/process portfolio of the joint-venture between Techofest Global and Biomakerz. They have been working on biorefineries’ process intensification for more than a decade. “Having foreseen the fuel-vs-fodder/food competition as early as the year 2015, we began developing techno-economically feasible and viable in-vitro metabolically-engineered bioprocesses for scaling-up ethanol production from municipal waste streams between 2019–2021”, says Navnit. After developing operational technologies for international biofuel organizations, serving process engineer roles with certain biorefineries-related OMC R&D’s of India, Dr. Navnit, presently works for a premier academic institution.

An on-going fermentation trial at the Techofest Global-Biomakerz JV’s R&D facility

Techofest Global has developed and tested, in its R&D JV’s pilot-facility of ~100-L, 3 innovative and cost-effective technologies, such as 5G ethanol production using human hair, used cooking oil (UCO), and enriched bio-methane production from disposed sanitary napkins.

“With massive CapEx and OpEx, 2G ethanol technology is facing a major commercialization bottleneck, owing to competition with food/livestock fodder, requirement of a cost-intensive pre-treatment procedure, and the requirement of cellulolytic cocktails, which have a poor recycle efficiency. The proprietary 5G SAFE process developed for the start-up circumvents the mentioned constraints, and instead, utilizes a single-stage saccharification followed by fermentation, and records over 85–90% biocatalyst recovery. Likewise, the proprietary SIM process for bio-methane production, exclusively developed for the start-up, is 2x faster with improved intermittent feeding cycles and continuous gas harvest”, says Navnit.

“With on-going pre-commercialization trials, the proprietary ethanol and bio-methane processes of ours are soon being commercialized”, says Ms. Bhumika, the co-founder and the corporate advisor of the start-up. Furthermore, Mr. Ronak pilots the organization’s global market entry and commercialization frontier.

Techofest Global’s veteran Principal Technology Advisors include: Dr VS Tripathi, former Joint Director, DRDE Gwalior, Dr B S Munjal, former Director, Structures and Thermal group, SAC/ISRO, Academician and Advisor CIKS-Dharohar, GTU, and Dr AV Santhanababu, former Scientist at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With on-going R&D activities, Dr. Munjal says, “the start-up is striving to provide a unique solution along the lines of the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat Vision 2047”.

Media Contact: www.techofestglobal.com; e-mail: info@techofestglobal.com; contact person: The PR team of Techofest Global.

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As AI Speeds Up Marketing, Louisville’s RedTag Bets on Strategy

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10 hours ago

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October 17, 2026

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Independent agency unveils new brand and website, and co-hosts Louisville’s PROOF AI Workshop

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RedTag, an independent Louisville-based marketing agency, this month unveiled new positioning, marking its evolution from a digital performance agency into a strategy-first marketing partner. The move comes as AI makes execution faster than ever, and RedTag is betting that strategy, not speed, is what will set businesses apart. Clients can now choose from outcome-based programs that best fit their marketing needs. 

“Clients don’t come to us needing more tactics. They come to us needing a path,” said Russ Renbarger, founder and CEO of RedTag. “Our new brand says out loud what our work has shown for years: We start with strategy and build everything on that foundation.”

RedTag built its reputation on high-performing paid digital campaigns. Over the years, the agency expanded into strategy, creative, video production and website development, giving clients one partner for the full scope of their marketing. Most recently, a team of automation specialists has integrated AI across the agency to speed up production and analysis, guided by an internal AI policy that keeps people accountable for quality. The time AI saves goes back into strategy: knowing what to say, who to say it to and why.

“Our best client relationships have always been partnerships, where we’re in the room when the big decisions get made,” said Alison Conway, chief client officer at RedTag. “This evolution is about bringing that strategic partnership to every client.”

On Oct. 14, RedTag co-hosted the PROOF AI Workshop with Slingshot, Vsimple and Advanced Business Solutions. The hands-on event gave Louisville business leaders practical experience applying AI to their own work. RedTag led the event’s AI in Marketing and Branding track, with four sessions ranging from AI search optimization to a playbook for adopting AI across an organization.

“AI can produce hundreds of ads in an afternoon, but it can’t tell you which one your brand actually needs and why,” Renbarger said. “The faster the tools get, the more valuable human-led strategy becomes.”

RedTag was named the agency of record for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2025. Its client list includes PGA of America, Castle & Key Distillery, Bourbon Barrel Foods, ShopCaterpillar and American Beverage Marketers. Since 2023, RedTag’s work has received two Emmy Awards and more than 35 ADDY and AIGA awards. The agency is a four-time Louisville Business First Fast 50 honoree and was named one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Kentucky.

To learn more about its outcome-based programs, visit RedTag Programs

About RedTag

RedTag is an independent, strategy-first marketing agency based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 2008, the agency starts every engagement by understanding the goal before recommending tactics. With a foundation rooted in discovery, RedTag delivers full-scale marketing campaigns built around each client’s business goals. RedTag serves organizations across hospitality, sports, agriculture, government, retail and consumer packaged goods. Learn more at redtag.agency.

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SOURCE RED TAG LLC

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