(May 15) (Bloomberg) -- Ctrip.com International Ltd., China's biggest online ticketing agent, posted a 52 percent increase in first-quarter profit, beating analyst estimates, as rising wages in the nation spurred demand for flights and hotel rooms.

Net income climbed to 99 million yuan ($14.1 million), or 1.42 yuan per American depositary receipt, from 65 million yuan, or 0.99 yuan, a year earlier, the Shanghai-based company said today in a statement distributed by PR Newswire. That beat all four analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Rising wages in the world's fastest-growing major economy have enabled more Chinese consumers to travel, fueling demand for the air ticket and hotel booking services Ctrip provides via the Internet and telephone. The nation's tourism industry generates more than $100 billion a year and accounts for 90 million jobs, the Pacific Asia Travel Association said in a report last month.

``It's really a rising middle class in China,'' Jeff Papp, senior analyst at Oberweis Asset Management Inc., which manages about $500 million of Greater China assets including Ctrip shares, said before the earnings release. Ctrip is ``the dominant brand'' for online travel in China and should ``really benefit as consumers travel more.''

Four analysts projected Ctrip would post profit of 90.5 million yuan, according to the median of their estimates.

Ctrip's first-quarter sales rose 47 percent to 340 million yuan. The median estimate of five analysts for revenue was 323.5 million yuan.

Second-quarter sales may rise about 30 percent from a year earlier, Ctrip said. That compares with four analysts' median estimate of a 40 percent increase to 410 million yuan.

Editor: Haijing Qu