Booking invests $500M into Didi – China’s Uber killer

You’ve heard of Booking Holdings, the parent company of such names as Priceline.com, Booking.com, Kayak, etc. But, if you haven’t traveled overseas, and primarily in China, you may not know about a potential Uber killer growing its base at a rapid pace.  That killer is Didi Chuxing.  In fact, Didi’s already larger than Uber having delivered 7.4 Billion rides to Uber’s 4 Billion, and also just expanded to Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, and purchased a rideshare company in Brazil.   Booking CEO, Gillian Tans, emphasized the company’s desire to continue its growth in the Chinese market, and transportation seemed to be an excellent fit to develop that growth.

Tans iterates how important transportation is for travelers, especially those going to areas that they may be visiting for a first time. The arrival experience can be very unfamiliar, and seeking out the best transportation to your hotel or attraction daunting. She hopes that this partnership will create a more collaborative and user friendly experience on both sides.

The $500M investment aims at creating a synergy between both companies. It puts Booking squarely in front of Didi passengers, allowing them to make Booking transactions intra Didi App, and Didi customers in front of Booking customers by allowing them to book rides while in the Booking app. Didi currently touts over 500 million users, and booking operates in over 200 countries.

 

H/T EyeforTravel