Marriott International Inc. and Alibaba Group?s online travel booking platform, Alitrip, have tied up to let Chinese travellers book hotel rooms online and on their mobile phones through a directly operated online flagship store.
The agreement comes two months after a partnership deal between Marriott and Ant Financial Services Group, a related party of Alibaba, to roll out Alipay to Marriott hotels and resorts, Marriott said in a statement.
Overseas spending by Chinese tourists is expected to rise 23 percent this year to US$229 billion and will nearly double to US$422 billion by 2020, according to a report by consultancies China Luxury Advisors and the Fung Business Intelligence Centre.
Marriott deal with Alibaba targets Chinese travellers
