DirectBooking Technology and DeepYou Form Joint Venture to Establish AI Robotics Travel and Hospitality Company

DirectBooking Technology (NASDAQ: ZDAI) has announced a strategic joint venture with Beijing DeepYou Digital Technology Co., Ltd. to establish an AI-driven travel and hospitality platform. The deal, which was disclosed on July 21, 2026, will see DirectBooking holding a 51% equity interest in the new venture, while DeepYou will retain a 49% stake. The partnership aims to create China's first fully integrated AI direct-booking platform tailored for the hospitality sector, addressing longstanding inefficiencies in the industry.

Founded by former JD.com Senior Vice President Li Daxue, DeepYou has positioned itself as a leader in AI cultural tourism technology. The new platform will leverage advanced AI capabilities to provide robotic staff solutions for hospitality enterprises and robotic assistant services for consumers. The initiative is expected to transform the traditional online travel agency (OTA) model, which has faced criticism for high commission rates and fragmented user experiences. By integrating various services into a single platform, the joint venture seeks to streamline the booking process and enhance customer satisfaction.

China's travel and hospitality market is currently experiencing significant growth, with domestic tourist trips reaching 5.615 billion in 2024, a 14.8% increase from the previous year. This growth has highlighted structural challenges within the industry, including supply-demand mismatches and high operational costs for hotels. The joint venture aims to address these pain points through an innovative closed-loop business model that combines scenic-spot ticketing, AI-driven demand capture, and decentralized supply integration. This approach is designed to reduce transaction costs and improve overall efficiency in the sector.

Li Daxue's extensive experience in technology and strategic planning is expected to play a crucial role in the success of the joint venture. His leadership, combined with DeepYou's established network of over 400 scenic attractions and DirectBooking's robust hotel management solutions, positions the new company to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the trillion-yuan travel market. The collaboration aims to cover 30,000 to 50,000 hotels within three years, providing each with AI-driven staff to optimize operations.

The formation of this joint venture reflects broader trends in the travel and hospitality sector, where technology is increasingly seen as a key driver of growth and efficiency. As companies seek to innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences, the integration of AI and advanced technology solutions will likely become a defining characteristic of successful players in the market. This partnership not only underscores the potential for disruption within the industry but also highlights the importance of strategic alliances in navigating the complexities of the evolving travel landscape.