Ctrip.com International Ltd, a Chinese online travel operator, has posted a net profit of 398 million yuan (US$55 million) in 2007, up 66 percent over a year earlier.

In the fourth quarter, net profit of the Nasdaq-listed firm more than doubled to 135 million yuan.

For full year 2007, business revenue rose more than 50 percent to 1.3 billion yuan, 53 percent of which came from hotel reservation service. It contributed 677 million yuan, Ctrip said.

Business revenue of air ticket booking reached 503 million yuan, accounting for 39 percent of the total, up 72 percent from 2006.

Diluted earnings per share were 5.84 yuan in 2007.

The firm expected its net revenue to grow 35 percent in 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2008)