Ctrip and Qunar Competitive Product Analysis Report

Which apps do you refer to when booking travel tickets? This article provides a competitive product analysis report on Ctrip and Qunar from the perspectives of project industry overview, business model analysis, user portrait, and user functions. Interested friends can read it together.

1. Project Overview

1. Project Analysis Description

As people's living standards continue to improve, their pursuit of quality of life has shifted from the material level to the spiritual level, and tourism has become an important part of people's daily life. Due to the convenience of online booking, the domestic online travel market has been booming in recent years, and major products in the industry are competing fiercely.

I selected two star products in the domestic online tourism industry, Ctrip and Qunar, for competitive analysis. By analyzing the functional characteristics of the two products, I found out their respective advantages and disadvantages, clarified the main needs of the online tourism industry in the future, and explored more precise development directions for online tourism products.

2. Product testing environment

2. Industry Overview

1. Current status of industry development

Figure 2.1 Statistics of China’s total domestic travel revenue from 2015 to 2020

In recent years, the tourism industry has gradually become one of the pillar industries of my country's economy. According to calculations by the National Bureau of Statistics, the added value of national tourism and related industries in 2019 was 4.4989 trillion yuan, accounting for 4.56% of the gross domestic product (GDP). The total number of domestic tourists in China increased from 3.99 billion in 2015 to 6.006 billion in 2019. Correspondingly, the total revenue of the tourism industry increased from 3,419.505 billion yuan in 2015 to 5,725.092 billion yuan in 2019. Affected by the new crown epidemic, the total revenue of China's domestic tourism industry in 2020 was 2.2286 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 61.07%; the number of passengers was only 2.88 billion.

Figure 2.2 China’s per capita disposable income VS tourism consumption 2015-2020

As can be seen from the figure, the ratio of per capita disposable input to per capita tourism consumption has maintained a certain ratio and has grown steadily from 2015 to 2019. However, due to the impact of the epidemic, the level of tourism consumption dropped sharply in 2020.

Summary: Although in the short term, China's tourism industry market was severely impacted by the 2020 epidemic, the market has been in a downturn for a certain period of time. From 2015 to 2019, per capita tourism consumption of Chinese residents accounted for more than 3% of per capita disposable income. However, under the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic, the proportion dropped to 1.14%. But at the same time, we must see that the epidemic is short-lived. With the continuous increase in my country's per capita disposable income and the stability of consumption structure, there is still a lot of room for the development of my country's tourism industry.

2. Development of China's tourism industry after the epidemic

Although affected by the epidemic, China's tourism industry market continued to be sluggish in 2020, but as the epidemic is brought under control and vaccines become popular, the tourism industry has shown strong signs of recovery. Domestic passenger traffic continues to rise and domestic tourism is gradually recovering.

Figure 2.3 Statistics on China’s passenger traffic from January to December 2020

Related report: "2021-2026 China Tourism Industry Development Monitoring and Investment Strategy Planning Research Report" released by China Economic Industry Research Institute

Since the first quarter of 2021, the domestic tourism industry is recovering at an accelerated pace with zero new local confirmed cases, the continuous expansion of vaccination scope, and the approaching Qingming and May Day holidays. According to statistics from the Ministry of Transport, the country is expected to transport 145 million passengers from April 3 to 5, an increase of 142% over last year's Qingming Festival holiday. Among them, civil aviation is expected to transport 4.328 million passengers, a significant increase of 256.4% over last year's Qingming Festival holiday.

Figure 2.4 Comparison of passenger traffic during the Qingming Festival in 2020 and 2021

Summary: Although the epidemic has not completely passed, the improvement of the country's epidemic prevention policies and vaccination measures are directly or indirectly reviving China's tourism industry. Although the development of the tourism industry may be difficult in the near future, based on this year's May Day and Qingming Festival, with the epidemic under control, China's tourism industry has begun to show a clear recovery. Based on this phenomenon, we can draw a conclusion that China's tourism market demand is still strong and we need to survive and develop in the crisis.

3. Development trend of China's tourism industry

1) Digitalization becomes a new development form of tourism

In the era of big data, OTA (online hotel, travel, ticketing and other booking system platforms) as suppliers provide online product marketing or product sales to various tourism entities, thereby bringing customized online travel products to consumers. With the large-scale shift of consumer groups from offline to online consumption and the corresponding change in user booking habits, the advantages of OTA platforms have gradually emerged. Various tourism and related companies have begun to rely on third-party OTA platforms or develop their own digital products to provide consumers with a considerable number of new applications, personalized push and location services. Digitalization has become a new development form of the tourism industry.

Figure 2.5 China Travel Ecosystem Product Map

2) Internet content communities and platforms are increasingly influencing consumer decision-making

With the upgrading of national consumption and the rapid development of mobile Internet, consumers' needs have become more diversified and personalized. Today's travelers need more personalized and convenient travel products and services. Content communities and platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin have attracted a large number of user groups, especially young people, through high-quality content from KOLs/KOCs, using diversified means such as pictures, texts, short videos, and live broadcasts, and have influenced the travel decisions of users on the platform. Users then influence other users through sharing. Compared with traditional travel agency services, KOL/KOC content on online communities is more personalized and differentiated, and can meet the diverse needs of users.

3) The epidemic has given rise to new forms of domestic tourism

Under the influence of the 2020 epidemic, consumers' consumption habits have changed, and new development trends have emerged in various industries. Through the active exploration and joint efforts of the tourism industry, the epidemic has spawned new tourism formats and service models. For example, real-name registration for tourist attractions and strict control of offline passenger flow have forced scenic spots to upgrade their digital management; cloud tourism, cross-border live streaming and home economy have prompted tourism companies to develop a "new world"; "contactless service" has brought smart unmanned hotels into fashion; domestic tours, park picnics and takeout have driven the tourism industry to transform its operating model to regain customers.

Summary: The post-epidemic era has arrived. With the upgrading of national consumption and the rapid development of mobile Internet, consumer needs have become more diversified and personalized. Today's travelers need more personalized and convenient travel products and services. As a supplier, OTA (i.e. online hotel, travel, ticketing and other reservation system platforms) provides online product marketing or product sales for various tourism entities, thereby bringing customized online travel products to consumers. With the continuous increase in China's per capita disposable income and the stability of consumption structure, China's tourism industry still has a lot of room for development.

4. PEST Analysis

1) Political environment

Our country has always followed the path of peaceful development and has enjoyed political stability for a long time, which has provided a good external environment for the development of the tourism industry. The country has formulated and continuously improved laws, regulations and policies that are suitable for the tourism industry. The government is also increasing its attention to the tourism industry, hoping to use it as an opportunity to create a good local investment environment and achieve the goal of attracting investment. my country has established good diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and many countries in the world, which is conducive to the rapid development of my country's tourism industry at home and its expansion into the international arena.

2) Economic environment

The economic factors that affect the development of tourism include the overall development trend of tourism, the per capita income of the people, transportation conditions and other levels of tourism development. Since the reform and opening up, my country's economic development has been in good shape, the gross national product has increased significantly, people's living standards have continued to improve, and the development of the tourism industry has a bright future. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, when people's living standards reach a certain level, they will invest their income in areas that meet higher-level needs. As an industry that meets people's current needs, the tourism industry undoubtedly has broad room for development. The current economic policies of our government are also vigorously encouraging the development of the tourism economy. Our country's current traffic conditions and the construction of infrastructure such as tourist attractions are becoming increasingly perfect, which provides great convenience for people's travel.

3) Social environment

my country has a large population, with middle-aged and elderly people accounting for a large proportion. Most of them have stable incomes and at the same time want to learn about the outside world. The tourism market is huge. Young people are the main force in my country's tourism market and they have a strong demand for travel. As the material living standards of our people improve, high-level needs such as strong social interaction, self-esteem, faith, pursuit of knowledge, aesthetics, and achievement are strengthened. The rise of tourism boom during golden weeks such as May Day and National Day, as well as the rich tourism and cultural festivals held in various places, have greatly changed people's consumption concepts.

4) Technical environment

The development of online e-commerce environment has led to the rise of online trading platforms, which allow people to learn more about the world, and relevant information on all aspects of the tourism industry will become more open and transparent. Improvements in production technology and reductions in costs for transportation such as airplanes, ships, and cars have made travel more convenient and less expensive. The popularity of electronic tickets makes it more convenient and quick for people to obtain various travel tickets.

3. Business Model Analysis

1. Hotel agency fee

The hotel booking agency fee is basically obtained from the profit discount rebate of the destination hotel;

2. Ticket agency fee

The ticket booking agency fee is obtained from the customer's booking fee, which is equal to the difference between the customer's booking fee and the airline's ticket price;

3. Insurance agency fees

The hotel and air ticket booking agency fees and insurance agency fees in self-guided tours are also earned through profit discount returns and price differences.

4. Online Advertising

In the hotel's profit discount, users can contact the hotel through Ctrip and then the two parties can directly trade, redistribute the intermediary price difference that Ctrip deserves and avoid Ctrip. Airlines are also launching their own online booking services to avoid losing the profits shared by intermediaries. For these reasons, Ctrip began to use the tourism resources it controls to provide more services with higher added value. For example, its self-service vacation business integrates air tickets and hotel businesses to obtain higher profits. Judging from its development direction, the Internet is just a platform for the circulation of information and funds, and more profits still come from offline.

4. User Analysis

1. Purpose

Through user attributes, we can explore the essential needs of users and derive core functions; secondly, we can use user scenarios to analyze user pain points and extend special functions.

2. User Segmentation

1) Distribution of tourism user attributes

User Analysis According to iResearch's "2021 China Online Travel Platform User Insight Research Report", the basic attributes of current travel users are as follows:

In terms of age: the average age of users is 35.6 years old, and users aged 25-50 account for nearly 80%, which is the main age group of users.

Gender: Gender distribution is balanced, with males accounting for a relatively large proportion of 56.9%.

City distribution: Users in first-tier, new first-tier, and second-tier cities account for 78%, and high-tier cities have the largest number of tourist user groups.

Summary: According to the reports of users of tourism platforms, analysis of user age and gender distribution in cities shows that the main tourism consumer groups are still mainly first-tier cities with developed cities and young groups, which are the main consumer groups in the modern tourism industry.

2) User attribute distribution of Ctrip and Qunar

Figure 4.1 Distribution of Ctrip and Qunar users

In terms of geographical distribution, users of both products are mainly concentrated in economically developed regions such as Beijing, Shanghai and the southeast coast, while the number of users in other regions is relatively small. The only exception is Sichuan Province, which leads the western region in terms of the number of users.

Figure 4.2 Age ratio of Ctrip and Qunar searches

In terms of age : the users of the two products are mainly concentrated between 20 and 39 years old, and there are very few users over 40 years old. It can be seen that both Ctrip and Qunar focus on young groups, and their main services such as travel and scenic spot tickets are also to provide corresponding services for young groups.

Figure 4.3 Gender ratio of Ctrip and Qunar users

In terms of gender distribution: According to data provided by TalkingData, the male-to-female ratio of both products is close to 1:1. Ctrip and Qunar have slightly more female users than male users.

Summary: From the user label segmentation of Ctrip and Qunar, we can clearly feel the characteristics of this group of people. First, they are young, among which 80% are between 20 and 39 years old, and the user coverage rate in the economically developed areas of first-tier cities is higher. Therefore, the core users of the two platforms have a clearer service segmentation based on the population distribution of the tourism market. They provide one-stop travel services for the younger groups, seize market resources, and increase population coverage, which is also what Ctrip and Qunar have been pursuing.

3. User portrait

Summary: In general, the pain points of Ctrip users can be divided into two types according to the groups of people. One is people who travel for work or other reasons, and the other is people who want to travel. The two have different focuses. The problem of people who travel for work or other reasons is that they don’t know how to get out, so we will provide them with travel methods, and the second is registration issues. We will provide the prices and accommodation environment of homestays and hotels; the second type of users who want to travel can be further divided into surrounding travel, domestic travel, international travel and other travel issues, route planning, accommodation issues, travel strategies, etc. Ctrip will provide specific solutions and detailed information for these.

5. Product Analysis

1. Strategic level

Summarize:

From the perspective of product positioning: Ctrip provides more powerful functions and more resources on the site, providing users with a full range of travel services including hotel reservations, air ticket reservations, vacation reservations, business travel management, preferential merchants and tourism information. Qunar does not directly provide any products, but provides consumers with real-time search for air tickets, hotels, and vacation products, as well as group purchases of travel products and other travel information services.

From the perspective of business model: Ctrip directly provides services and earns service fees, while Qunar is more inclined to information-based services. The two have different focuses.

From the perspective of special features and core users: both platforms can provide hotel reservations, air ticket reservations, vacation reservations, business travel management, and high-speed rail purchasing, but Ctrip provides stronger functionality, while Qunar provides more comprehensive consulting information.

2. Structural layer

1) Ctrip Travel Structure Diagram

Description: From the structure diagram of Ctrip software, we can see that its focus is on the homepage display interface. It puts its main core functions such as hotels, air tickets, train tickets, travel, and scenic spot guides on the homepage, and then provides users with one-stop comprehensive services such as homestays/hotels, air tickets + hotels, airport transfers/chartered cars, etc., which clearly displays the business and convenience needs of users.

2) Qunar structure diagram

Description: From the homepage interface of Qunar, we can see that the main functions provided are in the three aspects of hotels, air tickets and travel. In addition, each section emphasizes special offers, low prices, and guide services, focusing on the price comparison mentality of young groups, which accurately meets Qunar's user positioning.

Summary: Ctrip: started very early, has the highest level of professionalism, the broadest industry resources, and its style tends toward high-quality business travel. The product adopts Metro style design, showing Ctrip’s professionalism and trustworthiness. With abundant resources, Ctrip can provide the most comprehensive services among its three products.

Qunar: The style is similar to Ctrip. Qunar's tourism data integration capability is its advantage, and it can use this as a basis to provide special services such as "price comparison in multiple locations".

3. Competitive product analysis

1) Home page

Figure 5.1 Ctrip Qunar homepage display

Modular design : The content displayed on the homepages of the two apps is generally similar, and both display entrances to hotels, air tickets, travel and other services.

Ctrip has set up separate navigation bars for guides/attractions, tickets/entertainment, food, nearby tours, and flower viewing below the advertising column, while Qunar has grouped these functions into the sub-function area of ​​the travel module. The overall page design of Qunar looks simpler, with a clear distinction between the primary and the secondary. Ctrip has set up more function entrances, and the page layout is relatively messy, but it provides guidance for the functions that users commonly use, making it easier for users to click in.

Summary: Qunar’s three main modules (air tickets, hotels, and travel) have more sub-function area columns, which can meet the needs of different types of users to a certain extent, and the layout is also neater.

In addition to various function entrances, the first recommended column displayed by Ctrip is Super Value Offers, which shows limited-time flash sales and special air tickets that users are more interested in. The first recommended column displayed by Qunar is air ticket price comparison, which is in line with its product positioning of providing users with comprehensive price comparison services.

2) Core Functions

① Hotel

Figure 5.2 Hotel search page

Functional design: Both apps allow you to query basic information such as check-in and check-out time, location, etc. The search function provided by Ctrip is more comprehensive, taking into account users' more specific travel needs and purposes. In addition to basic information, users can also define the hotel's price/star rating, number of occupants, and travel purpose (business/leisure) for screening.

Ctrip provides options such as luggage management, conference/group rooms, etc., with rich features and is committed to meeting users' various needs.

Ctrip places the entrance to membership benefits functions in a prominent position, which shows how much it values ​​membership development. Qunar has placed a hotel guide module below the hotel search, providing accommodation guides for travel cities and providing a reference for users who don’t know which hotel to choose. Although Ctrip also provides various types of hotel lists and hotel recommendations on this page, users need to scroll down to see them, and the entrance is not as obvious as that of Qunar.

Figure 5.3 Hotel search results page

Search results: Comparing the results obtained under the same search conditions, Qunar provides more hotels than Ctrip. The overall price and star rating of the hotels recommended by Ctrip's default sorting are higher than those of Qunar, which is related to the product positioning of both. Qunar focuses on providing more price comparison services for price-sensitive users, while Ctrip focuses on providing travel services for mid- to high-end business travelers.

Ctrip places the coupon and points redemption modules above the hotel list to attract users to click in, while letting users understand the role of points. As user points increase, their stickiness to the product also increases.

In the hotel basic information display column, Qunar prompts how long ago someone made the reservation, which can increase users' trust in the hotel to a certain extent and make reservations as soon as possible.

Ctrip has a large number of user reviews, far more than Qunar, so the ratings and reviews are more convincing.

Figure 5.4 Ctrip hotel details page

Figure 5.5 Qunar.com hotel details page

Functional details: Both display basic content such as room information, check-in instructions, user reviews and related recommendations.

Ctrip has added content such as hotel highlights, nearby food and surrounding attractions. The hotel highlights show the lists and rankings that the hotel has been included in. This feature not only meets the accommodation needs of users who pursue hotel quality, but also stimulates users' curiosity and attracts more users to experience top-ranked or distinctive hotels, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. The recommended list of nearby food and attractions allows users to quickly learn about popular nearby attractions and food, satisfying users' needs for dining, sightseeing, and more while staying at the hotel. The one-stop service is very helpful in improving user experience and enhancing user stickiness.

Qunar provides detailed information about the hotel's check-in rules, facilities and surrounding areas below the room type list. The facilities section is displayed using function icons, allowing users to intuitively view the various facilities and services included in the hotel. The surrounding area shows the hotel's distance from several airports, the train station, and the bus station. Click to view more detailed information, which makes it easier for users to judge whether the hotel facilities are complete and the location is convenient, which can help users save a lot of unnecessary trouble when choosing a room.

Summary: Qunar offers more hotels than Ctrip. The overall price and star rating of the hotels recommended by Ctrip's default sorting are higher than those of Qunar, which is related to the product positioning of both. Qunar focuses on providing more price comparison services for price-sensitive users, while Ctrip focuses on providing travel services for mid- to high-end business travelers.

② Air Ticket

Figure 5.6 Air ticket search page

Functional design: Both apps have three options for purchasing one-way, round-trip and multi-trip tickets. Users can search for tickets by selecting the departure city, arrival city and departure time.

Ctrip’s air ticket search function is designed to be more comprehensive. First of all, considering that users also need to book hotels when traveling, Ctrip provides a one-click booking function for air tickets + hotel reservations, which is more affordable and convenient. Secondly, Ctrip’s default cabin selection is economy class, which takes into account the needs of most users, and its options for carrying children and infants are also more obvious.

Page design: Qunar’s page design provides a better viewing experience. Ctrip chooses to rotate advertisements in the banner at the top of the page, while Qunar intelligently determines the page background and top slogan based on the user’s location and time. For example, when it rains at the location, it displays “Hold an umbrella and pass by the scenery in the rain”; at night, it displays “You are in a 10-square-meter room, thinking about the splendor of 95,000 kilometers” and other sentences that are easy to resonate with users. Compared with Ctrip’s advertisements, it makes users feel very intimate and humane.

Qunar’s page layout is more reasonable. First of all, Ctrip places the entrance to travel assistance functions at the bottom of the page, while Qunar places it below the search function. Users can see the assistance functions at a glance when searching for air tickets and make choices conveniently. Secondly, Ctrip displays special airfares as a main module, while Qunar uses the rest of the page to provide more functional options and displays special airfares in the lower part of the page.

Figure 5.7 Flight search results page

Search results: The search results of the two are basically similar. Both use horizontal modules to display flight information and provide functions such as low-price calendar, price reduction reminders, filtering, and sorting by price/time.

Qunar’s search results are more advantageous. First of all, Ctrip sorts by departure time by default, while Qunar sorts by recommendation (price is an important sorting factor), which is more in line with users' actual usage. Secondly, Qunar has a larger number of flights to choose from and the flight prices are lower.

Ctrip provides nearby flight options, which is a very considerate feature for price-sensitive users.

Functional design details: Qunar’s functional details are better designed. First of all, Qunar has a drop-down button at the top of the page for the departure and arrival places. If the user wants to temporarily modify the departure place and other information, they can click the button and modify it directly. However, Ctrip still needs to return to the previous page to reselect, which is a more cumbersome operation. Secondly, the flight duration is displayed below each flight information on Qunar, which is an important reference information for many users.

Sliding down interface: Ctrip provides users with options such as filtering take-off times and adding price reduction reminders on the sliding down interface, while Qunar provides options for filtering landing airports on the sliding down interface, both of which are designed to meet user needs.

Figure 5.8 Slide down interface

Specific filtering interface: Click the "Filter" option in the lower left corner of the page to filter the search results. In the pop-up box of the filtering method, Qunar can adjust the departure time at will, meeting the users' needs for flight time under different conditions, while Ctrip can only choose a fixed time period.

Figure 5.9 Specific screening interface

Summary: Qunar not only provides customers with more preferential flight options and more comprehensive prompt information, but also simplifies the operation process for users, saving a lot of modification time and bringing customers a pleasant ticket purchasing experience. Ctrip still has a lot of room for improvement in this regard. However, Ctrip provides users with the option of nearby routes, giving price-sensitive users a better experience. Judging from the target user situation, Qunar should consider adding this function.

③ Tourism

Figure 5.10 Travel search page

Module design: Both products have set up a destination search function on the main page of the travel module. According to the different travel methods of users, both provide travel products such as group tours, free travel, cruise tours and customized travel. Ctrip also provides private tours.

In order to meet the different travel needs of users, both have segmented their tourism products and provided personalized travel products or services such as surrounding tours, parent-child tours, and day tours. Both have rich personalized divisions. Ctrip provides options such as parent-child/study tours, traveling with children, islands, and flower viewing, while Qunar provides options such as hiking, diving, and high-altitude play. Regarding the segmentation of tourism products, it is recommended to make personalized recommendations based on user characteristics.

Ctrip prioritizes displaying the entrance to travel product categories, and places destination recommendations below the travel type selection, making it convenient for users to quickly select a travel category based on their needs. Qunar, on the other hand, is just the opposite. It prioritizes popular destination recommendations. Many times, users are not sure of their travel destinations, so recommending some popular tourist destinations to users meets their actual needs.

Ctrip promoted its membership in the center of the page, and the importance Ctrip attached to developing paying members was also reflected many times on other pages.

Recommended content: Ctrip’s recommended content is more comprehensive. In the destination recommendation module, Qunar recommends popular destinations of the season, while Ctrip, in addition to recommending popular destinations of the season by month, also has "Guess You Like" and "Internet celebrity" destination recommendations. "Guess You Like" makes recommendations based on real-time popularity and user preferences, and the recommended content is more comprehensive. The "Internet celebrity" destination recommendation list is in line with the current user's pursuit of fashion trends and personalization.

Summary: In the tourism module, which is located at the bottom of the page, Ctrip displays tourism products in a similar way to recommended articles with pictures and texts. It is divided into sections such as selections, short holidays, surrounding areas, domestic, overseas, and parent-child. It focuses on displaying its highlights and attracting consumers with pictures and titles. Qunar, on the other hand, displays its travel products in the form of commodities, which are divided into three parts: last-minute specials, low-price pre-sales and great-value free travel. It focuses on displaying prices and attracting consumers with low prices. This is also consistent with the product positioning of the two.

④Itinerary​

Figure 5.11 Itinerary home page

Ctrip's "Where to Go Next" section provides users with multiple list recommendations. The recommended content is richer and easier to arouse users' interest. In addition, there are travel article recommendations below the list. The recommendation section of Qunar is divided into three parts: hotels, attractions and day trips. Users can click to switch cities. Ctrip's recommendation section is more likely to attract users.

On Ctrip's itinerary page, click the icon in the upper left corner to expand more functions. After real-name authentication, you can automatically synchronize air ticket and train ticket orders between Ctrip and the business travel platform, which is very convenient. It also supports directly adding calendar content to the itinerary.

On Qunar's itinerary page, click the icon in the upper left corner to view historical itineraries, and click the icon in the upper right corner to view all orders.

Figure 5.12 Add itinerary page

Summary: In addition to adding attractions, hotels, air tickets and train tickets, which are available in both apps, Ctrip also supports adding text messages and activities. Before going out on a trip, there are often some text messages that are needed during the trip. It is inconvenient for users to find them among the many text messages on their mobile phones when they need them. This function of Ctrip takes this pain point of users into consideration and is a surprising little design.

3) Summary

In general, Ctrip provides users with a full range of travel services including hotel reservations, air ticket reservations, vacation reservations, business travel management, preferential merchants and tourism information. Ctrip focuses on mid- to high-end business travel users with strong consumption power and business needs.

Qunar is a platform product. It does not directly provide any products. Instead, it provides consumers with real-time searches for air tickets, hotels, and vacation products, group purchases of travel products and other travel information services, and online and mobile technology solutions for tourism industry partners. Qunar focuses on users who are more price sensitive and need to search and compare prices, such as tourists, students who love traveling, and the working class.

VI. Conclusion

1. SWOT analysis

2. Summarize optimization suggestions

The core functions of both products are to provide users with travel products and services such as air tickets, hotels and tours. Overall, Qunar's page layout and some detailed interactive designs are better, while Ctrip's various functional contents are more comprehensively considered. It is worth mentioning that Ctrip is actively promoting the construction of its membership system, trying to improve the loyalty and activity of members. As a tourism product, it can be optimized in terms of user experience, product quality, social interaction, etc.

1) Optimize user experience

The common problems of the two products are mainly a large amount of repeated information on the pages and too many entrances to the same functions, which make the pages of the two products look too cluttered. Appropriate subtraction should be made to the products to provide users with a clearer and more straightforward usage path.

2) Improve product quality

At present, there is a serious homogenization phenomenon in my country's tourism products. In the future, a large number of traditional and similar tourism products will no longer be very attractive to users. With the upgrading of consumption trends, segmented tourism services such as local tours, parent-child tours, and island tours have begun to emerge in the online tourism market. In the future, people will increasingly pursue themed, personalized and even niche travel products (for example, walking tours), and desire to get different experiences from them. First, online travel platforms should reintegrate market resources and continuously explore travel products with thematic features and in-depth connotations. Secondly, they can consider customer segmentation, conduct more precise positioning, and provide personalized products or services to different customers for different groups, ultimately creating a good consumer experience for users.

3) Create a social atmosphere

At present, both products have begun to focus on the social field, actively promoting the construction of the "travel + social" platform, creating a good social atmosphere, and thus increasing user stickiness. Travel based on social interaction and sharing can not only provide more references for other travel users, but also allow travelers to gain satisfaction and recognition while sharing. Ctrip has now begun to introduce celebrity influencers into its travel photography module. In the future, if it can leverage the celebrity effect to create unique content and then build an original travel IP, it will bring huge traffic to the platform. In this way, combined with the incentive mechanism within the platform, a virtuous cycle can be achieved. On the one hand, it encourages users to continuously produce high-quality content, and on the other hand, it relies on high-quality recommended content to attract other new users and continuously create new profits for the company.

Due to differences in product positioning and user groups, there are differences between Ctrip and Qunar, but with the expansion of the market and capital mergers and acquisitions, the two have begun to penetrate each other. At present, the online travel market still has a lot of room for development, but if you blindly engage in "price wars", the entire online travel market will fall into a cold winter. How to improve service quality, increase user stickiness, and increase profit points while expanding market share is the future direction of Ctrip and Qunar's efforts.

Author: Dabai

Source: Dabai