Top Biz News

American Express eyes business travel market

By Jiang Jingjing (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-11-14 11:11

In addition to its global reputation, American Express has worked hard to establish a network across China.

At the beginning of 2002, the firm established a joint venture with China International Travel Service, which aims to provide a wide range of business travel management services, including obtaining and handling visas, international and domestic flight reservations and ticketing, hotel reservations and convention services.

In addition, the firm established its second joint venture in Shanghai in 2002, with a further one set up in Guangzhou the following year.

By last year, the firm's network had expanded to 100 locations across the country, covering all major provinces from Heilongjiang in the Northeast to the Tibet Autonomous Region in the Southwest.

"Our focus now is to build up our brand image in China," Petruccelli noted.

The company recently held a China Business Travel Forum in Shanghai, designed to showcase the business travel industry, strengthen the firm's links with Chinese businesses and expand business travel in China.

At the forum, American Express announced the results of its 2006 China Business Travel Survey.

The survey, which was conducted from May to September, questioned 200 Chinese and foreign-owned organizations in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

It is the third such survey that the company has conducted in China. It provides organizations, vendors and suppliers with the latest information on travel and entertainment (T&E) management practices and the Chinese market's outlook for the year ahead.

These activities are an important part of the company's marketing campaign, sending the message to both industry and clients that the firm is the leader in the travel management field, Petruccelli noted.

"We have a long-term commitment to the market. As business activities increase, companies here look for opportunities to optimize their T&E expenses, an investment that can improve the bottom line of their business. American Express is well positioned to capitalize on this growth opportunity and assist companies with world-class business travel management solutions," he continued.