Why Booking Holdings Is Investing in Asian Tech Companies

Asian e-commerce has been a tough nut to crack for Western companies. The Chinese market has significant regulatory limitations, and it can be difficult to cater to local tastes in other markets around Southeast Asia and East Asia. But there is much to be gained since these markets (China in particular) are some of the fastest-growing e-commerce opportunities in the world.

Uber's experience in China shows just how hard it can be. After spending billions of dollars in establishing a foothold, the company still couldn't win against local ridesharing favorite Didi Chuxing. Uber ended up selling its Chinese business in exchange for equity in Didi in an admission of defeat.

Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) has taken a somewhat different approach in Asia and has achieved a surprising level of success. Here's how they did it.

Source Fool.com