“The times where you used to push people to your own environment are over. Customers nowadays want to be able to do things on the platform of their choice, and if you talk about China, you have to be on WeChat. There is no other platform as strong as WeChat.” — Karlijn Vogel-Meijer, Director of Social, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Report Overview
As the Chinese outbound tourism market and its spending power continue to rise steadily, this segment of travelers becomes even more attractive to travel brands around the world. In this report, Skift Research dives into China’s most popular social media super app, WeChat, as a tool for travel brands to enter this market. With nearly one billion monthly active users, according to its parent company, Tencent, WeChat holds a great deal of potential for travel brands looking to appeal to Chinese travelers. We begin with an introduction to WeChat, laying out its different components and discussing its prominence in China. Then, drawing on insight from more than a dozen interviews with a variety of WeChat experts in travel, as well as WeChat data for travel brands based outside of Mainland China provided by Beijing-based digital agency Dragon Trail Interactive, we present key strategic considerations and best practices for travel brands interested in using the platform. We look deeper into topics such as selecting a WeChat account type and aspects of content strategy, with case studies and examples included throughout.
What You'll Learn From This Report
- Sizing and expenditure data for Chinese outbound tourism
- An overview of WeChat and its prominence in China
- How travel brands are using WeChat today
- Strategic considerations for travel brands interested in joining the platform
- Insight on best practices from travel industry WeChat experts
- What content resonates best with WeChat users, with examples
- WeChat posting metrics based on Skift Research data analysis
- The top travel brand WeChat Official Accounts among brands based outside of Mainland China according to engagement
- How external partnerships can help travel brands overcome challenges associated with joining the platform, creating an Official Account, and building an engaged follower base
Executives Interviewed
- Billy Turchin, Vice President, Digital & Voice - Greater China, IHG
- William Karz, Vice President of Digital Marketing, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
- Karlijn Vogel-Meijer, Director of Social, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Andy Jiang, Country Manager - China, Tourism Australia
- Fred Luan, Regional Marketing Director, Tourism Australia
- Elliott Ferguson, President & CEO, Destination DC
- Greg Eckhart, Manager Global Sales - Asia, Travel Oregon
- Lukas Prochazka, Business Development Manager - Asia, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism
- Natalie Tang, Public Relations Manager - China, Tahiti Tourisme
- Andrew Collins, Founder & CEO, Mailman Group
- Reene Ho-Phang, Founder & Managing Director, BrandStory Asia
- Humphrey Ho, Managing Director, Los Angeles, Hylink Digital Solution Co. Ltd.