Marriott International is tapping into the Chinese market in
a big way with the establishment of a joint venture with Chinese e-commerce
company Alibaba.
The joint venture will enable Marriott to market directly to
Alibaba's customers, estimated at 500 million monthly active users. A Marriott
store will operate on Fliggy, Alibaba's travel service platform. Content,
promotions and programs will be customized for Chinese travelers.
Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson called the joint venture "a
priority" with 700 million Chinese outbound trips expected in the next
five years. Spending by outbound Chinese travelers in 2016 was $261 billion, he
said.
Select hotels will accept Alipay, Alibaba's online payment
solution.