Many destinations from all corners of the globe are trying to reach Chinese travelers with ad and marketing messages as nearly 140 million Chinese traveled internationally last year.
The challenge in spreading those messages in China is making them stand out from competitors on platforms such as WeChat, the largest messaging and digital commerce mobile app in China.
That’s according to Roger Qiu, Ctrip’s general manager of destination marketing for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, who spoke during a call organized by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) on tourism growth and trends in Europe in 2017 and beyond. Ctrip is China’s largest booking site and has been investing in tour operators and other tourism businesses to deepen its strength abroad.
Qiu said that many European destinations, which have experienced steep growth in Chinese arrivals in recent years, are having a difficult time differentiating themselves in photos and videos, for example, on WeChat.
“In Chinese travelers’ minds, many European countries are very similar,” Qiu said during the call. “But it’s not always about the picture, it’s the story behind the picture you have to educate our clients with.”
Having captivating photos and storylines on WeChat and other platforms is especially key for mobile bookings, said Qiu. Ctrip had twice as many mobile bookings as desktop during the first half of 2017. “Mobile will be a new trend for the Chinese tourist, especially for the young generations,” he said.
WeChat is helping to enable Chinese travelers who want to take part in the increasingly popular option of traveling independently or taking semi-guided tours instead of sticking with a guide for an entire trip.
“Chinese tourists aren’t into low-standard tours anymore,” said Qiu. “Price isn’t the only influencing factor anymore with Chinese and might actually harm the reputation of the destination.”
