Latest news with #Tuniu
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nautilus Biotechnology Leads The Pack In Our Top 3 Penny Stocks
Over the last 7 days, the United States market has risen by 2.7%, and over the past year, it is up by 13%, with earnings expected to grow annually by 15% in the coming years. In light of these conditions, investors might find value in penny stocks—typically smaller or newer companies—that can offer growth opportunities when backed by strong financial health. Though considered a niche area today, penny stocks remain relevant for those seeking potential hidden value and long-term gains; here we explore three such stocks that combine balance sheet resilience with promising prospects. Name Share Price Market Cap Financial Health Rating Waterdrop (WDH) $1.35 $488.24M ★★★★★★ WM Technology (MAPS) $0.9265 $148M ★★★★★★ Tuniu (TOUR) $0.9326 $95.14M ★★★★★★ Safe Bulkers (SB) $3.66 $376.5M ★★★★☆☆ Golden Growers Cooperative (GGRO.U) $5.00 $77.45M ★★★★★★ Flexible Solutions International (FSI) $4.50 $55.08M ★★★★★★ BAB (BABB) $0.8339 $6.1M ★★★★★★ Lifetime Brands (LCUT) $3.77 $86.97M ★★★★★☆ Marine Petroleum Trust (MARP.S) $4.43 $8.76M ★★★★★☆ TETRA Technologies (TTI) $3.46 $441.8M ★★★★☆☆ Click here to see the full list of 449 stocks from our US Penny Stocks screener. Underneath we present a selection of stocks filtered out by our screen. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Nautilus Biotechnology, Inc. is a development stage life sciences company focused on creating a platform technology to quantify and unlock the complexity of the proteome, with a market cap of approximately $100.09 million. Operations: Nautilus Biotechnology has not reported any revenue segments. Market Cap: $100.09M Nautilus Biotechnology, with a market cap of US$100.09 million, is a pre-revenue life sciences company facing challenges typical of penny stocks. It recently received notice from Nasdaq for not meeting the minimum bid price requirement but has until October 28, 2025, to regain compliance. Despite being debt-free and having short-term assets exceeding liabilities significantly (US$141.6 million vs. US$33.3 million), the company remains unprofitable with losses increasing at an annual rate of 20.5% over five years and no profitability forecast in the near term. Revenue is expected to grow substantially, yet earnings are projected to decline by 8.5% annually over three years. Jump into the full analysis health report here for a deeper understanding of Nautilus Biotechnology. Assess Nautilus Biotechnology's future earnings estimates with our detailed growth reports. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: BARK, Inc. is a dog-centric company offering products, services, and content for dogs with a market cap of approximately $144.50 million. Operations: The company's revenue is derived from two primary segments: Commerce, which generated $68.35 million, and Direct to Consumer, contributing $415.84 million. Market Cap: $144.5M BARK, Inc., with a market cap of US$144.50 million, is navigating the challenges typical of penny stocks with a focus on dog-centric products and services. Despite being unprofitable and not expected to achieve profitability in the next three years, BARK has shown financial improvements; its short-term assets exceed both short-term and long-term liabilities significantly. Recent earnings revealed a slight decline in sales to US$484.18 million for the year ended March 31, 2025, while losses have narrowed compared to the previous year. The company anticipates lower first-quarter revenue due to reduced marketing efforts amid uncertain macro conditions. Click here and access our complete financial health analysis report to understand the dynamics of BARK. Learn about BARK's future growth trajectory here. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Seritage Growth Properties is a company focused on the ownership, development, redevelopment, management, sale and leasing of diversified retail and mixed-use properties across the United States with a market cap of approximately $165.59 million. Operations: The company's revenue segment primarily involves real estate properties, which generated -$3.41 million. Market Cap: $165.59M Seritage Growth Properties, with a market cap of US$165.59 million, is navigating the complexities of penny stocks in the real estate sector. Despite ongoing unprofitability and declining earnings over five years, its short-term assets of US$123.1 million exceed short-term liabilities significantly but fall short against long-term liabilities of US$240 million. The company has reduced its debt substantially from 157.9% to 62.8% over five years and recently made a voluntary prepayment on its term loan facility, reducing annual interest expenses by approximately US$99.4 million since December 2021 while pursuing a strategic Plan of Sale reducing its portfolio to 15 assets from approximately 160 since March 2022. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in Seritage Growth Properties' financial health report. Review our historical performance report to gain insights into Seritage Growth Properties' track record. Investigate our full lineup of 449 US Penny Stocks right here. Interested In Other Possibilities? Diversify your portfolio with solid dividend payers offering reliable income streams to weather potential market turbulence. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NAUT BARK and SRG. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. 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Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuniu Announces Unaudited First Quarter 2025 Financial Results
NANJING, China, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuniu Corporation (NASDAQ: TOUR) ("Tuniu" or the "Company"), a leading online leisure travel company in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. "We are pleased to kick off the year with steady growth momentum," said Mr. Donald Dunde Yu, Tuniu's founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In the first quarter, revenues from our core packaged tour products business increased by 19.3% year-over-year. We continued to leverage our core advantages in product development and supply chain to enhance both quality and cost-effectiveness. In addition, we continued to optimize both online and offline sales channels to ensure that our high-quality products and services reach more customers. Looking ahead, we remain committed to innovation through combining technology with industry insights to deliver more convenient, efficient, and transparent travel solutions for our customers." First Quarter 2025 Results Net revenues were RMB117.5 million (US$16.2 million[1]) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 8.9% from the corresponding period in 2024. Revenues from packaged tours were RMB99.0 million (US$13.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 19.3% from the corresponding period in 2024. The increase was primarily due to the growth of organized tours. Other revenues were RMB18.5 million (US$2.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year decrease of 25.8% from the corresponding period in 2024. The decrease was primarily due to the decrease in the commission fees received from other travel-related products. [1] The conversion of Renminbi ("RMB") into United States dollars ("US$") is based on the exchange rate of US$1.00=RMB 7.2567 on March 31, 2025 as set forth in H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and available at Cost of revenues was RMB48.2 million (US$6.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 85.9% from the corresponding period in 2024. As a percentage of net revenues, cost of revenues was 41.0% in the first quarter of 2025, compared to 24.0% in the corresponding period in 2024. Gross profit was RMB69.3 million (US$9.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year decrease of 15.5% from the corresponding period in 2024. Operating expenses were RMB80.1 million (US$11.0 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 14.9% from the corresponding period in 2024. Research and product development expenses were RMB14.5 million (US$2.0 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 11.5%. The increase was primarily due to the increase in research and product development personnel related expenses. Research and product development expenses as a percentage of net revenues were 12.4% in the first quarter of 2025. Sales and marketing expenses were RMB43.2 million (US$6.0 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 17.3%. The increase was primarily due to the increase in sales and marketing personnel related expenses and promotion expenses. Sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of net revenues were 36.8% in the first quarter of 2025. General and administrative expenses were RMB22.8 million (US$3.1 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 11.1%. The increase was primarily due to the impairment of property and equipment, net recorded in the first quarter of 2025. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenues were 19.4% in the first quarter of 2025. Loss from operations was RMB10.8 million (US$1.5 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to an income from operations of RMB12.3 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP[2] loss from operations, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets and impairment of property and equipment, net, was RMB5.3 million (US$0.7 million) in the first quarter of 2025. [2] The section below entitled "About Non-GAAP Financial Measures" provides information about the use of Non-GAAP financial measures in this press release, and the table captioned "Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release reconciles Non-GAAP financial information with the Company's financial results under GAAP. Net loss was RMB5.4 million (US$0.7 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a net income of RMB21.9 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP net income, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets and impairment of property and equipment, net, was RMB0.1 million (US$16.4 thousand) in the first quarter of 2025. Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Tuniu Corporation was RMB4.7 million (US$0.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of Tuniu Corporation of RMB13.9 million in the first quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of Tuniu Corporation, which excluded share-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets and impairment of property and equipment, net, was RMB0.8 million (US$0.1 million) in the first quarter of 2025. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and long-term deposits of RMB1.2 billion (US$167.2 million). Business Outlook For the second quarter of 2025, Tuniu expects to generate RMB131.0 million to RMB136.8 million of net revenues, which represents a 12% to 17% increase year-over-year compared with net revenues in the corresponding period in 2024. This forecast reflects Tuniu's current and preliminary view on the industry and its operations, which is subject to change. Share Repurchase Update In March 2024, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$ 10 million worth of its ordinary shares or American depositary shares ("ADSs") representing ordinary shares. As of May 31, 2025, the Company had repurchased an aggregate of approximately 9.5 million ADSs for approximately US$9.0 million from the open market under the share repurchase program. Conference Call Information Tuniu's management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 am U.S. Eastern Time, on June 12, 2025, (8:00 pm, Beijing/Hong Kong Time, on June 12, 2025) to discuss the first quarter 2025 financial results. To participate in the conference call, please dial the following numbers: United States 1-888-346-8982 Hong Kong 852-301-84992 Mainland China 4001-201203 International 1-412-902-4272 Conference ID: Tuniu 1Q 2025 Earnings Conference Call A telephone replay will be available one hour after the end of the conference call through June 19, 2025. The dial-in details are as follows: United States 1-877-344-7529 International 1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code: 4581400 Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Company's investor relations website at About Tuniu Tuniu (Nasdaq: TOUR) is a leading online leisure travel company in China that offers integrated travel service with a large selection of packaged tours, including organized and self-guided tours, as well as travel-related services for leisure travelers through its website and mobile platform. Tuniu provides one-stop leisure travel solutions and a compelling customer experience through its online platform and offline service network, including a dedicated team of professional customer service representatives, 24/7 call centers, extensive networks of offline retail stores and self-operated local tour operators. For more information, please visit Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Tuniu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Tuniu's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but are not limited to the following: Tuniu's goals and strategies; the growth of the online leisure travel market in China; the demand for Tuniu's products and services; its relationships with customers and travel suppliers; Tuniu's ability to offer competitive travel products and services; Tuniu's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; competition in the online travel industry in China; government policies and regulations relating to Tuniu's structure, business and industry; the impact of health epidemics on Tuniu's business operations, the travel industry and the economy of China and elsewhere generally; and the general economic and business condition in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Tuniu does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. About Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement the Company's unaudited consolidated financial results presented in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), the Company has provided non-GAAP information related to income/(loss) from operations, net income/(loss), net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders of Tuniu Corporation, which excludes share-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets and impairment of property and equipment, net. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe that the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release are useful for understanding and assessing underlying business performance and operating trends, and management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our financial performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. This non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measure has limitations as an analytical tool. Further, this non-GAAP measure may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore its comparability may be limited. The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measure, all of which should be considered when evaluating performance. Tuniu encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release. (Financial Tables Follow) Tuniu Corporation Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (All amounts in thousands, except per share information) December 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 March 31, 2025 RMB RMB US$ ASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents 465,004489,89667,509 Restricted cash 26,06110,6481,467 Short-term investments 432,823554,19976,371 Accounts receivable, net 43,31337,1555,120 Amounts due from related parties 7521,311181 Prepayments and other current assets 235,443192,29026,498 Total current assets 1,203,3961,285,499177,146 Non-current assetsLong-term investments 534,041349,29048,133 Property and equipment, net 32,84928,8473,975 Intangible assets, net 22,21021,3812,946 Land use right, net 88,46787,95212,120 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 9,2668,6791,196 Other non-current assets 19,20819,0862,630 Total non-current assets 706,041515,23571,000 Total assets 1,909,4371,800,734248,146 LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesShort-term borrowings 36365 Accounts and notes payable 290,112305,41642,087 Amounts due to related parties 3,1214,592633 Salary and welfare payable 23,14816,9712,339 Taxes payable 5,0602,559353 Advances from customers 247,151159,38521,964 Operating lease liabilities, current 2,9943,070423 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 322,034339,80746,824 Total current liabilities 893,656831,836114,628 Non-current liabilitiesOperating lease liabilities, non-current 1,6801,574217 Deferred tax liabilities 5,1514,964684 Total non-current liabilities 6,8316,538901 Total liabilities 900,487838,374115,529 EquityOrdinary shares 24924934 Less: Treasury stock (329,668)(342,050)(47,136) Additional paid-in capital 9,146,9289,118,3631,256,544 Accumulated other comprehensive income 313,460312,59943,077 Accumulated deficit (8,050,378)(8,055,076)(1,110,018) Total Tuniu Corporation shareholders' equity 1,080,5911,034,085142,501 Noncontrolling interests (71,641)(71,725)(9,884) Total equity 1,008,950962,360132,617 Total liabilities and equity 1,909,4371,800,734248,146 Tuniu Corporation Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss) (All amounts in thousands, except per share information) Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended Quarter Ended March 31, 2024 December 31, 2024 March 31, 2025 March 31, 2025 RMB RMB RMB US$ RevenuesPackaged tours 82,95175,44098,96913,638 Others 25,00727,29218,5472,556 Net revenues 107,958102,732117,51616,194 Cost of revenues (25,913)(32,935)(48,169)(6,638) Gross profit 82,04569,79769,3479,556 Operating expensesResearch and product development (13,024)(13,325)(14,528)(2,002) Sales and marketing (36,824)(42,697)(43,188)(5,951) General and administrative (20,479)(26,841)(22,755)(3,136) Other operating income 58236932645 Total operating expenses (69,745)(82,494)(80,145)(11,044) Income/(loss) from operations 12,300(12,697)(10,798)(1,488) Other income/(expenses)Interest and investment income/(loss), net 10,041(5,609)7,8291,079 Interest expense (613)(612)(551)(76) Foreign exchange losses, net (568)(6,102)(1,521)(210) Other income/(loss), net 1,27949(364)(50) Income/(loss) before income tax expense 22,439(24,971)(5,405)(745) Income tax benefit/(expense) 64(283)(52)(7) Equity in (loss)/income of affiliates (604)18810514 Net income/(loss) 21,899(25,066)(5,352)(738) Net income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 7,988(859)(654)(90) Net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders of Tuniu Corporation 13,911(24,207)(4,698)(648) Net income/(loss) 21,899(25,066)(5,352)(738) Other comprehensive income/(loss):Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of nil tax 2,0348,568(861)(119) Comprehensive income/(loss) 23,933(16,498)(6,213)(857) Net income/(loss) per ordinary share attributable to ordinary shareholders - basic and diluted 0.04(0.07)(0.01)(0.001) Net income/(loss) per ADS - basic and diluted* 0.12(0.21)(0.03)(0.004) Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing basic income/(loss) per share 371,516,251354,106,851348,847,377348,847,377 Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing diluted income/(loss) per share 373,365,967354,106,851348,847,377348,847,377 Share-based compensation expenses included are as follows:Cost of revenues 6566659 Research and product development 6566659 Sales and marketing 3132314 General and administrative 4,8301,2531,230169 Total 4,9911,4171,391191 *Each ADS represents three of the Company's ordinary shares. Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results (All amounts in thousands, except per share information) Quarter Ended March 31, 2025 GAAP Result Share-based Amortization of acquired Impairment Non-GAAP Compensation intangible assets of property and equipment, net Result Loss from operations (10,798)1,3917643,316(5,327) Net (loss)/income (5,352)1,3917643,316119 Net (loss)/income attributable to ordinary shareholders (4,698)1,3917643,316773 Quarter Ended December 31, 2024 GAAP Result Share-based Amortization of acquired Impairment Non-GAAP Compensation intangible assets of property and equipment, net Result (Loss)/income from operations (12,697)1,41776415,6415,125 Net loss (25,066)1,41776415,641(7,244) Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders (24,207)1,41776415,641(6,385) Quarter Ended March 31, 2024 GAAP Result Share-based Amortization of acquired Impairment Non-GAAP Compensation intangible assets of property and equipment, net Result Income from operations 12,3004,991828-18,119 Net income 21,8994,991828-27,718 Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders 13,9114,991828-19,730 View original content: SOURCE Tuniu Corporation
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Tuniu Announces Receipt of Minimum Bid Price Notice from Nasdaq
NANJING, China, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuniu Corporation (Nasdaq: TOUR) ('Tuniu' or the 'Company'), a leading online leisure travel company in China, today announced that it has received written notification from the staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ('Nasdaq') dated May 19, 2025, indicating that for the last 30 consecutive business days, the closing bid price for the Company's American depositary shares (the 'ADSs') was below the minimum bid price of US$1.00 per share requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1). The Nasdaq notification letter has no current effect on the listing or trading of the Company's securities on the Nasdaq Global Market. Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company is provided with a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until November 17, 2025, to regain compliance under the Listing Rules. If at any time during the 180-day compliance period, the closing bid price of the Company's ADSs is US$1.00 per share or higher for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, the Nasdaq will provide the Company written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed. In the event the Company does not regain compliance by November 17, 2025, subject to the determination by the staff of Nasdaq, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180-day compliance period. The Nasdaq notification letter will have no effect on the Company's business operations, and the Company will take all reasonable measures to regain compliance. About Tuniu Tuniu (Nasdaq: TOUR) is a leading online leisure travel company in China that offers integrated travel service with a large selection of packaged tours, including organized and self-guided tours, as well as travel-related services for leisure travelers through its website and mobile platform. Tuniu provides one-stop leisure travel solutions and a compelling customer experience through its online platform and offline service network, including a dedicated team of professional customer service representatives, 24/7 call centers, extensive networks of offline retail stores and self-operated local tour operators. For more information, please visit Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the 'safe harbor' provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as 'will,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'future,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'confident' and similar statements. Tuniu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to fourth parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Tuniu's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but are not limited to the following: Tuniu's goals and strategies; the growth of the online leisure travel market in China; the demand for Tuniu's products and services; its relationships with customers and travel suppliers; Tuniu's ability to offer competitive travel products and services; Tuniu's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; competition in the online travel industry in China; government policies and regulations relating to Tuniu's structure, business and industry; the impact of health epidemics on Tuniu's business operations, the travel industry and the economy of China and elsewhere generally; and the general economic and business condition in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and Tuniu does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. View original content: SOURCE Tuniu Corporation
Borneo Post
16-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
AI applications boost smart tourism in China
An aerial drone photo taken on May 3, 2025 shows tourists visiting the Fuzimiao scenic area in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. People across China enjoy the ongoing May Day holiday in various ways. – Xinhua photo BEIJING (May 17): During this year's May Day holiday, Ms Liu from Shanghai finally made her long-awaited trip to southwest China's Yunnan Province, a tourism hotspot with largely pleasant weather and diverse culture and ecology. According to the Shanghai resident, AI made her trip more enjoyable and put her at ease. For many, researching travel information on transport, accommodation and must-see sites is quite a hassle, and Ms Liu was no exception. 'In the past, before every trip, I had to go to various platforms to look up many travel guides, carefully select the scenic spots I liked, and constantly check various flight and hotel information. 'It was so exhausting!' For her Yunnan trip this time, Liu gave AI apps a try. She said that by inputting travel time, budget, hobbies and some specific requirements, a detailed travel plan generated by AI was right in front of her within a few minutes. 'AI has helped me solve the big problem of making travel plans, and I also managed to book air tickets and hotels at reasonable prices. Making a travel plan has never been so efficient.' Like Liu, making travel plans and detailed guides with available AI models such as DeepSeek, Kimi, and ByteDance's Doubao, is all the rage now among the millions of tourists in the world's second-largest economy. With growing AI applications, customised travel itineraries are allowing more people to travel smart and boosting the growth of the smart tourism economy. Meanwhile, on social media platforms such as 'rednote', posts tagged 'DeepSeek travel guides' or 'AI-customised trips' are trending, further exposing the strength and speed of AI in making travel suggestions to more users. Many industry players are doubling down on this trend, with a growing number of tourism companies and scenic spots accelerating their AI-oriented transformation and focusing on the new landscape of smart tourism. In April, tourism platform Tuniu launched its AI travel assistant Xiaoniu, which leverages open-source AI models like DeepSeek to provide users with one-stop services including smart searches of air tickets, hotels and train ticket information, automatic price comparison, personalised recommendations, and bundled bookings. Tuniu CEO Yu Dunde said that people making travel plans used to spend quite a lot of time making repeated comparisons to get the best deals for air tickets and hotels. With Xiaoniu, users can get very clear and succinct recommendations within 10 seconds with the assistant's smart searches and comparisons. 'Users may also fine-tune their requirements and get their most suitable travel plans.' This year, tourism companies in the nation's scenic areas such as Huangshan Mountain and Lushan Mountain in east China, have announced their connection to DeepSeek, providing upgraded customer services in intelligent interactions and tour companion experiences, as virtual guide and augmented reality navigation give rise to increasing AI application scenarios in the tourism industry. In Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the Grand Tang Mall has introduced an interactive AI virtual assistant named 'Tang Xiaobao' to engage with tourists and provide travel services. At the digital exhibition hall of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu province, visitors can wear VR glasses to visit the grottoes and view the murals up close, immersively. Visitors use VR to visit the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province on July 22, 2024. – Xinhua According to a China Academy of Information and Communications Technology report, the cultural and tourism sector ranks top among the country's services sector regarding AI adoption. It said that the expanding scope of AI applications stimulates and generates new growth points for tourism consumption. 'At present, the integration of tourism and AI is accelerating the restructuring of the service ecosystem. In terms of tourism services, AI-empowered personalised services are reshaping tourists' decision-making. 'At the same time, on the supply side, changes are more profound because the structure of the tourism sector's value chain is being reconstructed as a result of AI,' said Zhu Keli, a researcher with the China Institute of New Economy. Zhu believed that the next three to five years will be a critical period for AI to reshape the structure of the tourism industry. He added that enterprises that first transform and upgrade their businesses' organisation by embracing AI technologies to innovate their services will hopefully gain a first-mover advantage in defining new industry standards. A joint action plan issued in 2024 by multiple government departments, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to significantly expand China's smart tourism economy by 2027 with upgraded infrastructure and enhanced management. 'AI-powered tourism holds vast potential, as it personalises travel experiences while boosting operational efficiency and innovation for businesses,' said Hong Yong, an expert of the digital-real economies integration Forum 50. However, challenges remain in the deep integration of AI and cultural tourism. One of them is the shortage of cross-disciplinary talents who can advance the deep integration of AI with the tourism business for sustainable commercialisation. Another challenge is adaptation costs, especially for small- and medium-sized tourism companies, which lack the capabilities to develop tailored services because generic AI solutions do not perfectly match their specific needs. – Xinhua
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Tea towns to untouched villages, Japan to UAE: Budget trips that travellers in China are taking this May Day holiday
Trip numbers are set to reach a three-year post-Covid high during China's upcoming May Day public holidays, travel firms say. The holiday, which begins on May 1 and lasts for five days, is a prime time for travel, with pleasant spring weather making it more appealing than the wintery Lunar New Year break. Domestic travel in China has boomed since the end of the country's pandemic-era restrictions, but while more people are taking a holiday many are keeping a tight rein on spending amid an economic slowdown and concern about employment and wage stagnation. Liu Xiaoting, a 32-year-old bank employee, plans to travel to Hebei, a province close to her home in Beijing. "I'll drive with friends to Handan to visit the grottoes there," she said, adding that part of the appeal of the trip was the "minimal" spending required. "Hotels in Handan cost just 300 to 400 yuan ($41 - $55) even during the holiday. As the Chinese saying goes, we want to 'spend a little, accomplish a lot'." The tighter budgets have led to a surge in visits to more affordable smaller cities and villages, as well as road trips and camping holidays. Tuniu, a leading Chinese online travel agent, reported that as of mid-April, domestic travel bookings for the May Day holiday were more than double the same period last year. Beijing-based travel operator UTour Group said, as of April 15, the gross merchandise volume (GMV, a common measure of online sales) on its platform had increased by about 65% year-on-year. Travel information provider Umetrip also said that as of April 17, the number of domestic flight tickets booked for the May Day holiday was more than 3.33 million, marking a 36% increase compared to last year. International flight ticket bookings on Umetrip have risen by about 25%. International travel, meanwhile, is dominated by short-haul routes, with Japan and the UAE both emerging as popular destinations according to pre-holiday data. Even a warning last month from China's embassy urging Chinese travellers to enhance safety precautions and pay attention to personal and food hygiene does not seem to have deterred holidaymakers. "Japan has long-established a reputation of being clean, mature, and safe," said Su Shu, founder of Chinese firm Moment Travel in Chengdu. "Our tourists are not impacted by the warnings, especially those who have visited Japan before." Domestically, while metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai continue to attract visitors, county-level tourism is rapidly gaining traction. Group data shows that the popularity of searches for smaller cities has increased by 25% year-on-year, with growth rates 11 percentage points higher than in China's biggest cities. Searches for small and remote places such as Bortala, an autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang populated with ethnic minority Mongol people, and Puer, a famous tea-producing area in Yunnan, have surged by more than 50%, it said.
