EXPEDIA Corporate Travel is expected to serve medium and large Chinese companies within next year and is aiming for double digit growth of its business in the country.
The company launched its service in China last November after many international clients expanded their business in China, but so far its focus is on these companies rather than local firms.
While ECT's China offering is expected to be exciting to multinationals, it should also be very valuable to medium and large Chinese companies within the next year, the company said.
"Only 20 percent of companies use business-travel management services in China, so big potential exists," said its president Jean-Pierre Remy.
Remy predicts that this figure will be reversed, with 80 percent of Chinese companies using travel management companies over the next five to 10 years.
He also expected that the Olympic Games and the World Expo would create many opportunities for the corporate travel market.
The company, a subsidiary of Expedia Inc, is a major on-demand travel agency which offers services more than 2,000 companies in the US.
"Our commitment in China relies a lot on the strategic partnership we have with eLong Inc," Remy said. "The ability to support clients in different cities in China and partnerships with hotels and airlines are very important for us."