E-Commerce and Internet Application in China's Lodging Industry

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the lodging industry trends in China, particularly with regards to the application of the Internet and E-Commerce in lodging operations. With the rapid development of E-commerce and information technology and the expansion of the Internet, the world is experiencing a revolutionary change in our life and business styles. Europe and America have been leading this change for several decades and this trend is going to continue in the years to come. This paper focuses on the status quo and trends of the E-Commerce in China's lodging industry. It concentrates on exploring the structure of the hotel industry in China in terms of its service levels and physical facilities, particularly with regards to the E-commerce and Internet application. The exploratory research is conducted on three levels of the lodging industry, namely, world class hotels, mid-service hotels and economy and limited service hotels in China.