Alibaba invests in online tourism website

Alibaba has invested in popular tourism website qyer.com.

The Hangzhou-based electronic-business giant said its customer-to-customer platform taobao.com will help qyer.com promote, book and customize tourism packages.

The company did not reveal the amount of the investment.

According to Cai Jinghui, chief operating officer of qyer.com, an increasing number of Chinese tourists are buying customized services and sharing travel information through social media sites.

China's online tourism market saw turnover reach 253 billion yuan ($41 billion) in 2012, representing about 10 percent of the entire industry, according to the China Tourism Academy.