Outbound travel boom fuels surge in global deals

Online booking platforms for shared accommodation have ramped up efforts to cooperate with global partners and expand their presences in overseas markets to cash in on the growing number of outbound travelers.

Home-sharing company Xiaozhu Inc announced a global partnership with online booking platform Agoda, a member of Booking Holdings Inc, in March, and a strategic partnership with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's travel brand Fliggy in May to expand its global network, share properties and promote post-pay services.

Xiaozhu and Agoda will collaborate in areas including listings, technology and service innovation, branding and marketing, thus leveraging their expertise in different markets, to innovate homestay and home-sharing experiences for global consumers.