Marketing Strategies to Attract Chinese Tourists

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Tourism in China is a big market. First, because Chinese people are numerous, but also due to the opening of China to other countries and the better access to information. Consequently, Chinese people travel more and more. Last year, Chinese tourists were more than 135 million over the world and they spent USD261 billion on their travels.

The Chinese Tourism Market

Everybody had already seen this tourist buses crowded with Chinese tourists. But, the trend is changing, they are more independent and more and more Chinese tourists prefer to travel alone, in a couple or with some friends. According to a survey, 70% of the Chinese tourists plan to organize their own travel arrangements. Moreover, Chinese tourists no longer want a tour guide. Indeed, 17% of them prefer making their own arrangements by preparing the trip and looking on the internet for advice.

Most of the Chinese tourists of the first-tier cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, had already traveled a lot. They know many countries and want now to discover new destinations. They are more independent than their peers. Chinese living in the second-tier cities are less experienced than those living in the first-tier cities of China. That’s why this part of Chinese tourists will prefer guide tour and group travel. In addition, because it’s new, they will spend a lot of money.

They want to bring gifts and memories to their families and friends. The luxury tourism is a way more and more chosen by travelers. They want the best: quality, convenience, and comfort. Finally, the new Chinese millennials generation is really complex, to attract this target you will need to use new tools. They want a unique and amazing experience. Indeed, they want to show their travels to their friends and their family and they expect you, travel agency, to make it wonderful and unforgettable.

In parallel, only 10% of Chinese hold passport but the number of China’s outbound tourists is increasing by 4.3% every year. Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the United-States, Maldives, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Italy, and Malaysia are the top 10 destinations where Chinese tourists spent more money.

How to attract Chinese tourists?

Chinese Social Networks

China is the world largest connected country: more than 90% of Chinese people have an account on at least one Chinese social network. Wechat is the social media the most used in China and, regardless of the size of your company, it is an essential media to develop your marketing strategy in the country. Including Wechat in your digital strategy to attract Chinese tourists is one of the most powerful tools, you could use.

 Press Relations

Having a good reputation online is essential in China. Press Relations is one of the key points on which any digital marketing strategy should be based. More than attract Chinese travelers to your website, it is important to raise your company awareness and to make it more visible for Chinese by using online Public Relations. Consequently, it is always useful for a company to use Press Relations to promote your travel tours. With PR you can establish a coherent brand position, write press releases in Mandarin and disseminate this content by targeting journalists.

Chinese Website & SEO on Baidu

It’s important for you to understand that Chinese customers are more familiar with the website in their own language than English or other languages websites. A Chinese website is a first portal that Chinese uses for knowing your services.

The most widely used search engine by Chinese people and Chinese tourists is called Baidu. The website owns 80% of the market shares, it ranks 5th among the most visited sites in the world and currently has more than 800 million web pages. SEO on Baidu is the key for the visibility of your travel company in China. Baidu now offers a wide range of services, such as web searches, image search, music, forums or a Q&A service. SEO on Baidu requires several steps, which may be different from what needs to be done on Google. The notions of trust and notoriety remain essential for companies wishing to enter the Chinese market and be visible on Baidu.

Key Opinion Leaders( KOL)

In order to have a quick high visibility in China, very few methods are as effective as partnerships with Key Opinion Leaders. Indeed, the word-of-mouth is very strong in China. Since a few years, they became a real part of the influencer marketing because they are numerous and powerful. KOLs are often Chinese celebrities who are experts of a specific subject. They are popular social media users and have created viral content to develop a community around them. Working together with Key Opinion Leaders will help your travel company to create a significant influence. Many organizations working in the tourism industry looking to attract Chinese customers already created partnerships with KOLs.

Partnership with Chinese travel agencies

The clear majority of Chinese tourists travel in groups. According to the latest report by the tourism agency of China, group travel takes up 70% of traveling for Chinese people. Therefore, communication among agencies can make your website known, and allows you to generate your first business in the country.

Use travel platforms

You can have your own website to publish your own content, publish information and specific details about your company. However, if your main purpose is to reach Chinese tourists you must register your business on these famous Chinese platforms. ¼ of the online travel agency market belongs to Ctrip. The rest of the market shares belong to Tuniu CY, LVmama and Aoyou.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency

We are a digital marketing agency based in Shanghai and we can help your company to attract Chinese tourists. Do not hesitate to contact us!

 

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• Tips for a Successful influencer Campaign in China

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