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How Trip.com’s Surge Mirrors China’s Travel Revival and Its Impact on Taxi and Transfer Services

How Trip.com’s Surge Mirrors China’s Travel Revival and Its Impact on Taxi and Transfer Services

James Miller, LocalsRide.com
by 
James Miller, LocalsRide.com
5 minutes read
News
September 18, 2025

Trip.com Sets a New Benchmark Amid China’s Travel Revival

Recent developments have seen Trip.com, the prominent online travel platform, soaring to its highest Nasdaq closing price of 2025, driven largely by an impressive uptick in travel bookings during the second quarter. This growth heralds a positive sign not only for Trip.com but also for related sectors in travel, including ground transportation services like taxis and transfers, as more travelers book their journeys online.

Strong Gains in Revenue and Profits

Trip.com’s shares climbed to $75.03 on Nasdaq, marking their best close since December last year and showcasing a remarkable 60% increase over the past twelve months. In Hong Kong’s stock market, the site also enjoyed a significant boost, closing at HK$578, again its top finish since December. Such sharp rises reflect thriving demand, especially during peak holidays, contributing to a 16% year-over-year net revenue increase in the April-to-June quarter, reaching $2.1 billion.

Key Financial Highlights Q2 2025

Metric Value Growth (%)
Net Revenue $2.1 billion +16% YoY
Accommodation Reservation Revenue $869 million Over 20% YoY
Inbound Travel Bookings 100%+ increase YoY More than doubled
Net Profit $676 million Over 25% YoY

Booking Trends Revealing Traveler Behavior

Inbound travel surged, with bookings more than doubling compared to the prior year. Outbound bookings for hotels and airline tickets climbed to 120% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, highlighting a strong rebound. This growth not only propels Trip.com’s financials but sparks increased demand for airport transfers, taxi services, and other ground transportation essentials—making seamless first- and last-mile solutions more critical than ever.

Trip.com’s Market Expansion and Influence

  • Foundation and Growth: Established in 1999 as Ctrip, the platform disrupted China’s predominantly offline, state-owned travel business landscape.
  • Service Range: From hotels to airline and railway tickets, its offerings now cover over 1.7 million hotels and flights from 600+ airlines worldwide.
  • Market Value: Its Nasdaq market cap stood at $48 billion recently, nearly double that of Expedia.
  • Global Reach: Supports 24 languages and 35 local currencies, enabling diverse customer segments to tap into travel services.

Leadership and Strategic Focus

Trip.com’s CEO has emphasized a strategy dedicated to capturing rising travel demand across all demographics, with a special focus on inbound travelers. The company’s leadership includes influential founders and investors, strengthening its innovative edge in the competitive travel tech space.

Why This Growth Matters for Taxi and Transfer Services

Revival in travel bookings translates into heightened activity for ancillary services such as airport taxis, private transfers, and city-to-destination rides. Travelers booking through platforms like Trip.com increasingly seek trusted, reliable ground transportation. This is where services like LocalsRide.com shine—letting users pick out the exact vehicle to match their needs, view details like make, model, and driver ratings upfront, and avoid hidden surprises common with conventional booking aggregators.

Italy Joins the Race for Chinese Tourists

Looking ahead, certain international destinations such as Italy are gearing up for a possible boom in Chinese visitors, especially with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina attracting increasing winter sports enthusiasm from Chinese travelers. This uptick could further elevate demand for transfer and taxi services during global events.

Highlights and Personal Experience Matter

The growth story of Trip.com exemplifies how the renewed appetite for travel is shaping not just online bookings but also the broader travel ecosystem, including seamless ground transportation. Yet, while industry reports and positive reviews offer good insights, nothing beats firsthand experience. Via platforms like LocalsRide, travelers can hire licensed drivers and cars from verified providers, often at very reasonable prices and with a wide selection of vehicles and service add-ons. This empowers travelers to make well-informed choices, avoiding unnecessary costs and disappointment.

Benefit Summary:

  • Convenience: Easy booking from a global pool of vehicles and drivers.
  • Affordability: Competitive pricing with transparency on fares and fees.
  • Variety: Options ranging from private sedans to larger seater vehicles, including limousines.

Book your transfer with confidence through LocalsRide.com.

Looking Ahead: What This Means for Global Travel and Transportation

Though the immediate impact of Trip.com’s rise might be mostly regional, reflecting China’s travel revival, the ripple effect extends globally. As passenger flows increase, airports, city taxis, and transfer operators worldwide stand to benefit from more bookings and higher traffic. LocalsRide stays updated with such trends, ensuring its users have the best choice of vehicles and services for their trips. Start planning your next adventure and secure your worldwide transfer with LocalsRide.

Conclusion

The steady climb of Trip.com’s bookings and profits underscores a vibrant recovery in travel demand centered on China. This momentum is pushing the travel industry forward, expanding not only online booking platforms but also increasing the need for exact, reliable ground transportation options at every destination. Platforms that offer transparency and choice, such as LocalsRide.com, are perfectly positioned to capitalize on this growth by providing travelers access to the best taxi, transfer, and private driver services worldwide, making every trip smoother and more enjoyable. Whether it’s catching a cab from the airport, booking a private ride into town, or reserving a limousine for a special occasion, transparency on prices and vehicle details brings peace of mind throughout the journey.