Chinese Electronics Retailer Makes Internet Travel Bet

Chinese electronics retailer Gome is investing an undisclosed sum into its e-commerce travel channel.

The company's online shopping website Gome.com.cn will launch a hotel booking service on June 18, 2015.

With the launch of this new service, users will be able to book hotels via the hotel channel of Gome.com.cn. The hotel channel will enable booking of 280,000 hotels across China. This marks the company's latest deployment in the online tourism market following the launch of a flight ticket service at the beginning of 2015. In addition, Gome.com.cn is accelerating its deployment in attractions tickets, holiday routes, cruises, and international flight sectors.

According to Huang Xiangping, vice president of Gome.com.cn, the company will cooperate with third-party OTAs to develop the hotel business. Gome.com.cn will ensure users' shopping and travel experience with hotel recommendations, convenient bookings, and post-sales services.

Hotel reservation is one of the important businesses in the online tourism market. At present, Gome.com.cn's hotel reservation business has reached hotels in hot tourism destinations across China and the company plans to gradually expand its business to international destinations.