Attracting Chinese Guests Using Social Media

Marketing Hotels to the
Cover
slide
Chinese Tourist
December, 2014
Cross Cultural Digital Marketing Experts

Preface
As the number of Chinese tourists travelling abroad continues to grow at
a breakneck pace there will be ample opportunities for hotels across the
globe to wine, dine and house these increasingly wealthy and
sophisticated tourists. Winning over this market segment requires an
understanding of Chinese consumers, what these consumers look for
when travelling abroad and a deep knowledge of the Chinese social media
universe, as social media represents ones of the best platforms by which
to reach these consumers.
This eBook will cover both topics and outline key strategies by which hotels
worldwide can win and retain Chinese outbound tourists for years to
come.
1 Copyright © 2014 Digital Jungle Limited. All rights reserved.

2
Table of Contents
Introduction: Growth of Chinese Tourism 3
The Evolving Chinese Tourist 4
Digital Marketing in China 7
Your Hotel 9
Concluding Points 10
References 11
Contact Us 12
Copyright © 2014 Digital Jungle Limited. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Growth of Chinese Tourism
As the Chinese economy continues to
develop, increasing numbers of Chinese
citizens have the both the desire and the
disposable income to take leisure trips
abroad. In 2012, 83 million Chinese
tourists went abroad; this figure is set to
top 100 million by 2015, amounting to a
1000% increase in just 15 years since
2000.1 China is now home to the largest
number of international tourists as its
yearly total of citizens travelling abroad
has overtaken the United States and the
western European states.3 These
Chinese tourists spent a staggering $102
billion USD abroad in 2012, more than
the tourists from any other state. The
$102 billion spent abroad constituted a
massive 40% year on year (YoY)
increase from 2011’s spending total.4
Where they are going is also changing.
Daodao (the name tripadvisor.com
operates under in China) listed the
destinations which had received the
most clicks from unique users in July
and August of 2013. The top 15
destinations listed were:
1. Hong Kong
2. Phuket
3. Taiwan
4. Bangkok
5. Paris
6. Dubai
7. Macau
8. Seoul
9. Singapore
10. Bali
11. Rome
12. Chiang Mai, Thailand
13. New York
3
14. London
15. Jeju Island, South Korea5
Changing Tastes
Crucially, Daodao also released how
interest in these destinations had
changed YoY. Interest in some
destinations rose by over 500%. The top
10 by increased interest are:
1. Kyoto – 580%
2. Jeju Island, South Korea – 570%
3. Kota Kimbalu, Malaysia – 550%
4. Hanoi – 510%
5. Paris – 360%
6. Boracay, Philippines – 360%
7. Taiwan – 350%
8. Bali – 310%
9. New York – 280%
10. Bangkok – 270% 6
Increased interest in Hong Kong and
Macau both only rose by 50% each,
whereas interest in all foreign
destinations more than doubled.7 This
demonstrates that Chinese tourists are
increasingly interested in travelling to a
wider range of destinations, thus
fragmenting the market and opening up
opportunities for more destinations and
hotels worldwide. Niche holidays are also
becoming more popular in China. For
example the number of Chinese tourists
taking Safari holidays in Africa has been
increasing.8

The Evolving Chinese Tourist
Ways to reach this audience and what
Chinese tourist look for in holidays will be
addressed in the next chapter, but an
introduction to Chinese internet usage
will be crucial as digital marketing
represents one of the best channels by
which to reach Chinese consumers and
tourists.
There are currently over 591 million
internet users in China.9 To put this
number in perspective, it’s 43 times the
entire population of Australia. This
number will keep growing and will reach
over 700 million by 2015.10 Consumers in
China tend to mistrust official product
reviews and marketing campaigns from
branded sources, so the importance of
social media and the peer-generated
feedback created on social media
platforms is amplified. In order to
effectively reach this audience you have
to understand Chinese consumers and
their motivations. Once you do this, you
will be able to create content and
messages which resonate with and
engage prospective tourists.
The Changing Consumer
The nature of Chinese consumers is
changing: the more established middle
classes in the economically developed
Tier One and Two cities are spending
larger amounts of their disposable
incomes but will still save more than
their “Western” counterparts.11 As the
middle class in Tier Three and Four cities
and inland areas expand there will be a
growing dichotomy in the Chinese middle
and upper classes: those who have
experienced wealth for several years (or
a decade) and those whose incomes are
just now rising enough to allow them to
4
consider travelling abroad.12
This serves as a reminder of two
important points about marketing in
China. Firstly, that there are many
separate socio-economic groups which
display different characteristics and
have different tastes - so differing
tactics will have to be employed. This
leads in the second: that campaigns
have to be highly localised as a result of
this. Employing general campaigns for
the whole of the country will end up
having very little impact.
Types of Chinese Tourists
Within the framework just outlined, it is
possible to split Chinese tourists into two
different categories. These different
groups will be looking for different
experiences during their foreign tips.
Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Director of the
China Outbound Tourism Research
Institute (COTRI) outlined two categories
of Chinese tourist. The first type are the
older type of Chinese tourists who tend
to travel in large guided tours due to the
difficult visa application process and
perceived cultural differences. When
these types of tourists go abroad, it is
often the first time they have left China
and they are looking to see as many
famous places as possible. The second
type of Chinese tourist has only
emerged recently as the upper strata of
China’s middle classes have expanded
their wealthy and embraced the
luxurious lifestyle.

Source: Hotels.com, Chinese International Travel Monitor 201214
These individuals have been abroad
5
before, many will have studied
“New” Tourists’ Likes and Preferences
While there are quite a few things that
they look for, implementing these
additions will require a different
approach to marketing than the
stereotypical “slippers and tea kettle”
approach advocated by many for
catering to members of Chinese guided
tours. These new tourists will mostly
come from T1 & 2
cities and have a great deal of
disposable income, in fact being wealthy
by anyone’s standards. They will be
seeking luxury, particularly when it
comes to shopping.15 Compared to
Beijing and Shanghai,
luxury goods are around 20-30%
cheaper in international cities. Even
when you include in the costs of a
holiday it still makes sense to shop
abroad. Chinese writer Lin Xu noted a
few strategies which would make
abroad and will be multilingual. They will
be more independently minded, willing to
try local culture and cuisine and may be
resentful of being regarded in the same
bracket as the older type of Chinese
tourists.13
The image above shows the biggest
changes in nature of Chinese
travellers identified by hoteliers in the
Chinese International Travel
Monitor. It demonstrates the evolution of
this new breed of Chinese tourist. As
the “newer” type of Chinese tourist is
more likely to booking hotels themselves,
the focus of this ebook will be on what
they seek when travelling abroad. Within
these categories there will be smaller
sub categories according to age,
location, wealth etc.

independent Chinese tourists much
happier. These include letting tourists
know how much they are saving when
making purchases, having a global
warranty (which helps protect major
investments) and accepting Union Pay,
which will allow these well-heeled
tourists to access their Chinese bank
accounts. Providing pictures of popular
food items or Chinese language menus
can be a major help as well - even
native speakers sometime do not know
what certain items or special dishes
on menus are.16
A major complaint of these tourists is
feeling like they are being
discriminated against and that
“Western” visitors might be given
preferential treatment over them. Arlt
gives the example that if Chinese
tourists have to wait five minutes to
receive their room key, their first thought
will not be that more staff are required,
but they are being made to wait
because they are Chinese.17 This type of
concern can grow, if not tended to
immediately, into fears that they are
actually being exploited and treated as
second class guests even when they are
spending large amounts of money. High
levels of customer service will go a long
way to redress this.
6
Making these types of changes will
greatly aid Chinese tourist in feeling a lot
more at home.
No matter who you are or where you
come from, there is nothing quite like the
reassuring presence of something
familiar when away from home. Having
translated welcome materials and a
Chinese member of staff on duty at all
times will help resolve any problems.
Popular Chinese soft drinks in the mini-bars,
Chinese liquor placed above the
bar along with other spirits and adding
different regional dishes to menus –
genuine Chinese dishes, not the
“Chinese” dishes served in average
“Western” restaurants can all help
tourist settle in while in a new place. A
copy of daily Chinese newspapers along
with “Western” newspapers available at
breakfast, free in-room Wi-Fi and
assistance with mobile phone providers
can go a long way.
Introducing these changes are not going
to break the bank and given that
Chinese consumers like to publically
review products will make a huge
difference in attracting and retaining
Chinese tourists as guests.

Digital Marketing in China
Chinese Social Media
The social media landscape is very
different in China. Facebook, Twitter and
You Tube are not accessible here. Local
platforms such as WeChat, Tencent
Weibo, RenRen, Douban, and Sina Weibo
must be used to reach your audience.
Comparisons between Weibo and
Twitter or RenRen and Facebook are
very misleading. To create messaging
and content which will resonate and
engage with Chinese consumers, you
must tailor your strategy to reach them
7
on their terms. Strategies employed in
developed economies will not work here.
Using social media allows you to really
customize campaigns to reach your
target audiences. Platforms are best
used in conjunction with one another as
each one serves a different purpose
and connects with its users in differing
ways. Effective campaigns use different
combinations of platforms as content
distribution networks vary depending
upon who their targets are.

Other Digital Work
Social media works more effectively
when used in conjunction with search
engine marketing and optimization (SEO
& SEM) campaigns. It is pivotal to get
your websites on the first page of
results on Baidu and Sogou if you want
them to be seen by Chinese netizens.
This is best accomplished by building a
customized Chinese website or landing
pages, specifically designed for China
rather than a carbon copy of pre-existing
8
pages used in other
markets. Whilst Google is available in
China, it is not widely used.
Chinese consumers generally like to
research products thoroughly online and
rarely make purchases on impulse. This
will be especially so for holidays as 70%
of Chinese travellers use the internet as
their main source of information about
trips.18
The importance of mobile cannot be
overstated. There are currently over
360 million smartphones in China, and
that total will rise to over 450 million by
the end of 2014.19 Most internet access
in China comes from mobile devices so
remember that your content must be
compatible with mobile devices.
Smartphone use is near universal
amongst the new type of Chinese
tourists due to their socio-economic
backgrounds and incomes.
Social Listening
In China, officially branded sources of
information are not very well trusted
compared to what consumers hear from
their peers, thus elevating the role of
people-driven social media, making both
very important for your business.
Chinese people write reviews of
products and will absolutely pen posts
and messages about their experiences
on holiday. A Chinese tourist sharing
their pleasure of a hotel stay will be
worth his or her weight in gold, especially
if this particular tourist is a key opinion
leader.
Social Listening is a way to keep track of
what consumers think about products.
Its application for hotels is clear: employ
social listening services to track your
hotel’s buzz online. Doing so will help to
protect you brand, increase your market
knowledge and better tailor your
services for certain key groups of
tourists. One example of how it can be
used is to look for competitors’
weaknesses: if there are complaints that
guests are forced to pay for Wi-Fi, you
can promote the fact that yours is
offered for free.

Your Hotel
Understand Your Location
It is also imperative to understand your
location geographically. Not as you
understand it, but how it is thought of in
China. How would it appeal to potential
tourists from Shanghai? This is
important for hoteliers because you
don’t just have to attract Chinese
tourists to your hotel, but also to your
destination. You have to get Chinese
tourists to firstly go to your location and
then to stay in your accommodations.
You have to remember which groups will
usually go to your destination. Resorts
in parts of South East Asia such as Bali
and Boracay cater to young, white collar
Chinese workers with lower levels of
9
disposable income as this group
makes up the majority of visitors from
mainland China.20 These visitors are less
wealthy than those heading to further
afield. If you business is a game reserve
in Kenya, your clientele will be made up
of the wealthy travellers given the costs
involved in taking this trip.
The next question to ask yourself is what
layers are there to my destination. For
example Berlin also has “German” and
“European” identities in addition to a
“Berlin” identity. This will affect what
Chinese tourists will think of your
destination and what your location has
to offer relative to other destinations.
Are there fantastic shopping
opportunities? Is it an area of
outstanding natural beauty? What
attractions are nearby? This list is near
endless.
Understand Your Hotel
You then have to consider what the
demographics of Chinese tourists
coming to your location will expect. You
have to demonstrate that you provide
what they want as this will result in
tourists making reservations at your
hotel, not at a competitor’s. Those
heading off to Bali will not be looking for
the same levels of luxury relative to cost
compared to those going on Safari.
It is crucial to then assess what your
hotel’s personality is. Is it a chic boutique
hotel, or one that provides great value
for very little money? This will help you
narrow down your target audiences
further, allowing you to really create
messages and content which will
resonate and engage with them.

Parting Thoughts
The global importance of Chinese
tourism is here to stay. The good news
for hoteliers is that the more this market
develops, the greater the share of “new”
tourists will become. Though the
demographics of this market will change
over time. Middle class growth in inland
areas and Tier Three and Tier Four cities
will fragment this group meaning that
campaigns in China will have to
increasingly localised and focused on
specific target audiences. You can
attract middle classes from Harbin and
Foshan at the same time, but you will
have to use different methods to entice
them.
The most effective way to reach this
growing market is through Chinese social
media and digital campaigns. Before
firing up a WeChat account, bear in mind
four key questions which should act as
inputs and guiding principles:
10
1. Which particular socio-economic
demographic you are targeting?
2. What do Chinese tourists want?
3. Which type of tourist is most likely to
go to your location and stay at your
hotel?
4. How can you then attract them
specifically to your location and hotel?
Answer these and your digital
campaigns will be far more successful as
they will be able to guide your messages
and marketing content.
If you would like to know more about marketing to a Chinese
traveller, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact Digital Jungle. We have years of experience in this field
as well as a talented, multicultural and multilingual staff.
Our contact details can be found online: www.digitaljungle.agency
or on the back page.

References
1. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/09/
11
travel/chinese-tourism-impact
2. http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/
2013-04-04/china-new-number-
one-tourism-source-market-
world
3. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/
ST.INT.DPRT/countries/1W?
display=map
4. http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/
2013-04-04/china-new-number-
one-tourism-source-market-
world
5. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/
2013/09/25/chinese-tourists-travel-farther-
southeast-asi/
6. http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/
images/AI-CD748_
CTRAVE_G_201309250548
09.jpg
7. ibid
8. http://
www.adventureugandasafari.com/
blog/uncategorized/chinese-tourists-
increase-in-numbers.html
9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
technology-23343058
10. http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/
whitepaper/china-internet-statistics/
11. http://www.dmic.asia/en/business/
digital-marketing-and-the-changing-chinese-
consumer
12. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/
consumer_and_retail/
mapping_chinas_middle_class
14. http://press.hotels.com/en-gb/files/
2012/07/Hotels.com-Chinese-
International-Traveller-MapCITM.pdf
travel/china-tourists-spend/
index.html
16. http://www.jingdaily.com/
independent-chinese-travelers-8-
things-you-should-know/27910/
18. http://marketingtochina.com/how-to-
attract-chinese-tourists-to-usa/
19. http://www.reuters.com/article/
2013/09/24/us-china-smartphones-idUSBRE98N08V20130924?
source=email_rt_mc_body&app=n
20. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/
2013/09/25/chinese-tourists-travel-farther-
southeast-asi/

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12 Copyright © 2014 Digital Jungle Limited. All rights reserved.

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