BOCI Securities Limited: Reaffirms TRIP.COM-S (09961) as the top choice in the tourism sector.

Bank of China International released a research report stating that, citing tourism data from the Chinese New Year holiday in January and February of this year, overall tourism demand in China remains strong. The bank stated that, while reiterating its optimistic view on the tourism industry, recent media reports on events in Thailand may lead to a decrease in outbound tourism demand to Southeast Asia. The report mentioned that considering the neighboring countries of East Asia, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, are expected to benefit from this situation, the impact of the events on the transaction amount and profitability of online travel agencies (OTAs) is neutral. The bank also reiterated TRIP.COM-S (09961) as its preferred stock in the tourism sector. Additionally, Bank of China International predicts that China's tourism retail industry will continue to face resistance, and recommends investors to pay attention to the guidance on Hainan's duty-free policy from the "Two Sessions" in March this year.