Travel review website TripAdvisor.com announced it is buying Kuxun.cn, a Chinese flight and hotel search engine, as it taps into a burgeoning tourism market buoyed by China's resilient economy.
TripAdvisor plans to invest more money in China through late 2011, Chief Executive Stephen Kaufer told media. The budget includes buying Kuxun.cn, launching its own Chinese travel review website Daodao.com in April 2009, and hiring more staff in China.
TripAdvisor will probably double the number of staff in China working on both websites to 160 over the next year from 80 now, Kaufer said, adding the company hasn't reviewed this plan. Over the next two years, it aims to double the number of visitors to Kuxun.cn and Daodao.com. According to the company, Daodao.com already had four million unique visitors by September 2009.
Kuxun.cn lets users compare airfares and hotel room prices from various sellers, while Daodao.com allows users to review and read reviews of hotels and travel destinations.