Jane Sun, Trip.com: What AI Means for Travel

Summary

Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun discusses her company's journey from a centralized call center to an AI-driven platform, emphasizing the importance of travel in education and global understanding. Sun highlights Trip.com's customer service excellence, diverse offerings, and aspirations to become a leading travel agency worldwide. She also touches on the potential of China's inbound travel market and the company's commitment to empowering women in leadership roles.

Takeaways

• 📚 Confucius' teaching emphasizes the value of travel over reading, highlighting travel as a form of learning.
• 🌐 Trip.com Group, under Jane Sun's leadership, has become a leader in customer experience and expanded internationally.
• 🛫 Jane Sun joined Trip.com Group in 2005, during the early stages of online booking and travel industry growth in China.
• 💡 Jane Sun's vision for Trip.com Group is to make it one of the world's largest travel agencies.
• 🔄 The travel industry has evolved significantly with technological advancements, moving from offline to online and then to mobile apps.
• 🤖 Trip.com Group invests heavily in AI to improve user interface, efficiency, and customer service levels.
• 🌍 Travel is deeply rooted in Chinese culture as a means of education and has seen a significant number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad pre-COVID.
• 🎉 Post-COVID, many countries have adopted open-door policies for Chinese tourists, including visa-free travel and increased air capacity.
• 💰 Trip.com's customers are considered high-value, with their buying power being 2 to 3 times higher than the average buyer.
• 🏆 Trip.com offers a one-stop shopping platform for all travel-related needs and provides exceptional 24/7 customer service.
• 🚀 China's inbound travel market has significant untapped potential, with historical contributions to GDP being less than 1%.
• 👩‍💼 Trip.com Group actively empowers women, with over 50% of the workforce, 40% of middle managers, and more than one-third of executives being women.
• 💸 The company's high-value offerings include luxury travel packages, such as a $200,000 around-the-world trip that sold out in 17 seconds.

Q & A

What is the Confucian teaching mentioned by Jane Sun regarding the comparison between traveling and reading?

The Confucian teaching mentioned by Jane Sun is that it is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books, emphasizing the value of experiential learning through travel.

When did Jane Sun join Trip.com Group and what was the state of online booking and travel in China at that time?

Jane Sun joined Trip.com Group in 2005 when online booking was still nascent and travel in China was just beginning to take off.

What was Jane Sun's background prior to joining Trip.com Group?

Jane Sun had an established career in the United States and had received bilingual and bicultural training there for almost 20 years. She was also born in Shanghai.

How did Trip.com Group differentiate itself from competitors in the early days of its business?

Trip.com Group differentiated itself by establishing a centralized call center in Shanghai to reach out to the whole country, while competitors were trying to establish roadside shops.

How has technology impacted the travel industry and Trip.com Group's approach to business?

Technology has significantly impacted the travel industry, with Trip.com Group evolving from offline to online, then to mobile apps, and now heavily investing in AI to improve user experience and efficiency.

What is the significance of travel in Chinese culture and how does it relate to education?

Travel is deeply rooted in Chinese culture as a means of education, with many families using it to broaden their children's perspectives and experiences.

How has the post-COVID travel landscape changed for Chinese consumers, and what opportunities has it created for Trip.com Group?

Post-COVID, many countries have adopted open-door policies for Chinese consumers, offering free visas and increased air capacity, creating opportunities for Trip.com Group to bring high-quality customers to these destinations.

What is the significance of the customer buying power of Trip.com's clientele, and how does it benefit the company?

The buying power of Trip.com's customers is 2 to 3 times higher than the average buyer, which is a significant advantage for the company as it attracts countries wanting to host high-spending tourists.

What is the most expensive tour package sold by Trip.com Group, and how quickly did it sell out?

The most expensive tour package sold by Trip.com Group costs about 200,000 USD per person for an 80-day trip around the world, and it sold out in just 17 seconds.

What are the key factors that give Trip.com Group an edge in becoming the largest OTA in Asia?

Trip.com Group's edge includes offering a one-stop shopping platform for all travel-related products, 24/7 customer service with quick response times, and prioritizing customer requests in case of emergencies.

How does AI play a role in Trip.com Group's business strategy and customer experience?

AI is crucial for Trip.com Group's business, improving the user interface by allowing natural language searches, increasing efficiency for engineers, enhancing customer service levels, and enabling the creation of dynamic and timely content.

What initiatives does Trip.com Group have in place to empower women in the workforce and leadership positions?

Trip.com Group has made concerted efforts to empower women, resulting in over 50% of the workforce being women, more than 40% of middle managers being women, and over one-third of executives being women.

How can interested customers sign up for high-end travel packages like the one mentioned in the script?

Interested customers are welcome to sign up with Trip.com Group for high-end travel packages, indicating a simple and open process for accessing these exclusive offers.