In recent years, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of Chinese travelers have begun to seek more certainty in their travel plans. To reduce uncertainty, they are increasingly inclined to use online platforms to book travel-related services such as hotel accommodations, attraction tickets, and travel packages.

The “2023 China Tourism Recovery Trend Report” indicates that the online penetration rate for travel bookings in China has risen to 60.6%[1]. This suggests that for travel businesses traditionally reliant on offline transactions, developing effective online marketing strategies has become particularly crucial.

This article introduces from two perspectives, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and social media, the preferred apps of Chinese tourists when traveling.

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

Ctrip:

• Provides one-stop travel services, mainly targeting the mid-to-high-end travel market.
• As China’s largest online travel agency platform, its business scope includes accommodation booking, transportation ticketing, travel vacations, and business travel management. Ctrip attracts a large number of affluent customers who are not sensitive to price, thanks to its abundant high-end hotel resources and quality services.

Tongcheng Travel:

• Primarily serves cost-conscience travelers.
• With strong support from Tencent behind it, Tongcheng has gained significant traffic and exposure. Its main focus is on users from second and third-tier cities, with 86.5% of its registered users coming from these non-first-tier cities[2].

Fliggy:

• Focuses on the young consumer market.
• Fliggy specializes in meeting the overseas travel needs of young people and, with the acceleration of Digital Transformation, has transformed from an online travel agency (OTA) to an online travel platform (OTP). It connects merchants with consumers, earning a commission from the transactions.

Ctrip:

• Provides one-stop travel services, mainly targeting the mid-to-high-end travel market.
• As China’s largest online travel agency platform, its business scope includes accommodation booking, transportation ticketing, travel vacations, and business travel management. Ctrip attracts a large number of affluent customers who are not sensitive to price, thanks to its abundant high-end hotel resources and quality services.

Tongcheng Travel:

• Primarily serves cost-conscience travelers.
• With strong support from Tencent behind it, Tongcheng has gained significant traffic and exposure. Its main focus is on users from second and third-tier cities, with 86.5% of its registered users coming from these non-first-tier cities[2].

Fliggy:

• Focuses on the young consumer market.
• Fliggy specializes in meeting the overseas travel needs of young people and, with the acceleration of Digital Transformation, has transformed from an online travel agency (OTA) to an online travel platform (OTP). It connects merchants with consumers, earning a commission from the transactions.

Social Software in Travel Marketing

Douyin (TikTok in China):

• Relies on content marketing.
• As a short video app, Douyin is widely popular in China for its easily consumable content format. Many travel destinations and travel bloggers enhance the visibility and attractiveness of destinations on Douyin through sharing short videos and live broadcasts.
• As of September 2023, 14,000 tourist attractions, more than 100,000 hotels, and 32,000 travel agencies have opened official accounts on Douyin[3]. Many businesses have recognized the importance of visibility through Douyin’s content marketing.

Xiaohongshu (RED):

• This community influences the travel decisions of many Chinese people.
• As a social commerce platform centered around lifestyle sharing, travel sharing is an important part of RED’s content community. RED has become the preferred reference app for many Chinese tourists when making domestic and international travel decisions. They often return to RED following their trips to share their experiences, forming a strong community interaction and influence.

WeChat Mini Programs:

• Provides a convenient and efficient digital service platform.
• As one of WeChat’s functionality, WeChat Mini Programs allow users to easily access travel information, book services, and share travel tips without the need to download and install any additional apps. It is changing the way Chinese tourists obtain travel information and book travel services.

With the advent of the digital age, China’s tourism market is undergoing a revolution. It’s not just online travel agencies (OTAs) that are pivotal; emerging marketing methods such as short video marketing, the use of social community, and tourism live streaming are also becoming increasingly important. These applications not only provide consumers with more convenient services, but they also open up new business opportunities and growth points for many travel agents.

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References

1) ByteDance City Research Institute (2023), “Recovery, Iteration, Reconstruction – 2023 Douyin Tourism Industry White Paper” available at https://trendinsight.oceanengine.com/arithmetic-report/detail/947 (last accessed: April 1, 2024)

2) Liu Mi (2023), “Ctrip, Tongcheng, Fliggy, Meituan ‘Each Fighting Their Own Battles,’ What are the Development Trends of China’s OTA Platforms in 2023?” in Red Star News, https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20230427A05S1L00.html (last accessed: April 1, 2024)

3) China Tourism Academy (2023), “2023 Semi-Annual Outbound Tourism Big Data Report,” https://www.ctaweb.org.cn/cta/gzdt/202308/d08d3bea0fbc4af99ac9873a5560a398.shtml (last accessed: April 1, 2024)

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[1] China Tourism Academy (2023), “2023 Semi-Annual Outbound Tourism Big Data Report,”

[2] Liu Mi (2023), “Ctrip, Tongcheng, Fliggy, Meituan ‘Each Fighting Their Own Battles,’ What are the Development Trends of China’s OTA Platforms in 2023?”

[3] ByteDance City Research Institute (2023), “Recovery, Iteration, Reconstruction – 2023 Douyin Tourism Industry White Paper”