Travel firm Skyscanner sold to Chinese site Ctrip in $1.74 billion deal

Edinburgh-based Skyscanner -- a site specializing in price comparison for travellers -- has been bought by its Chinese counterpart Ctrip. The deal values Skyscanner Holdings at $1.74 billion (around £1.4 billion) and sees the Scottish firm joining China's largest travel site, Ctrip.cn.

Despite the sale, Skyscanner says that it will continue to operate as an independent company, and it will continue to help travellers find the best deals for hotels, flights and car rentals.

Skyscanner already boasts 60 million monthly users, and is available around the world in more than 30 languages. The deal values the company slightly higher than the $1.6 billion suggested by a funding round earlier in the year, and it is hoped that things will be finalized before the end of the year.

The sale comprises mainly cash, with the remainder made up of Ctrip shares and loan notes. Skyscanner chief executive Gareth Williams said that the acquisition brings the company "one step closer to our goal of making travel search as simple as possible for travellers around the world".

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