How to Market your Hotel to Chinese tourists

September 2, 2015|Chinese tourists, Sectors & Industries
The Chinese overseas tourist market is huge. At the start of 2015, there were over 100 million outbound Chinese tourists. The BBC reported that the Chinese have become the single greatest source of global tourism income after spending $102bn (£67bn; 79bn euros) while traveling abroad in 2012. With an expanding Chinese middle class with a higher disposable income, this spending is only set to increase.
 
Now, more than ever, it is crucial to know how to market your hotel cleverly and effectively to the Chinese tourist to capitalize upon this trend. With e-commerce growing and 60% of people making hotel bookings online digital marketing is the key to your success.
 

Top Marketing strategies for your Hotel to Chinese tourists

 
 
 

Ctrip, Qunar and elong are the equivalents of Booking.com

 
If you register your hotel on booking.com it can help you to get the booking. Optimize your presence on these platforms will help your business in China. Trust me.
 
 

Have a strong presence on Chinese search engines

Firstly the Chinese consumer will use search engines in China (notably Baidu) to look for hotels. It is vital that you are one of the top hotels listed in the search results. Optimizing your status and presence on Baidu and other Chinese search engines is the first step.

baidu hotel chinese

Manage your e-reputation in China, because nobody wants to sleep in a Dirty Hotel

The Chinese consumer prioritizes feedback and reviews in forums much higher than the consumer in the west does. After finding a selection of hotels people will often spend much time considering the reviews. In China user reviews and ratings on forums are key. You must manage your reputation and what people are saying, positive reviews and comments from others link directly to more bookings.

Market effectively on social media, maximize the word of Mouth

Social media has become a key target for marketers with the highest internet penetration rate (45%) in the world. There are an astonishing 634 million internet users in China(Tnooz).
 
The Chinese are particularly influenced by their immediate social circle and family, engaging with potential customers on social networks is therefore vital.
 
You should be disseminating content and offers/promotions concerning your hotel. Featuring visitors pictures and comments are also effective as it incorporates customers directly. Interesting articles and content should be produced and shared to stimulate interest.

Having a strong presence on social networks increases the chances of your hotel being shared amongst users social networks. The Chinese trust their friendship circle and family and are very influenced by others recommendations, experiences and opinions.

Weibo: Weibo is a micro-blogging platform which works in essentially the same way as the American ‘Twitter’. Users can exchange any type of content with their friends. With 500 million registered accounts it is the key social network to be engaging with if you are attempting to enter the Chinese market. Weibo is the place to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s popular in China. It’s a very ‘open’ social network and is therefore very effective for marketers.

Wechat: Customers can add and subscribe to your brand account using QR codes to spread the news about the hotel. Once customers are following your account you can promote special discounts or content exclusively for subscribers.

 

Have Quality Photographs & Videos

 Potential customers will spend a lot of time checking images of the hotel, the Chinese seek an authentic experience of the country and culture they are visiting. They want something different so a clear sense of the hotel’s identity should be communicated through a consistent set of photographs, a similar style and theme looks professional and reinforces your ‘brand’.
 
An image shared that is striking and which communicates the style of the hotel is especially effective as customers often share their hotel bookings on social media, word of mouth is vital in China, recommendations from friends are the most powerful form of marketing. Capitalize on this by editing and creating stylized images that capture the place and culture people are visiting.
 
 

Create a ‘narrative’ and shareable content

Shareable content about your hotel can be very effective with the rise of Weibo (China’s answer to Twitter) and Wechat. Look to create interesting content, articles and stories. Create a narrative surrounding the hotel’s name, identity and style. Tourists are looking to escape from the ordinary and mundane so be imaginative. Romantic, love stories are often popular amongst the Chinese.
 

Customers will be seeking a prestigious hotel, maximize positive news

It would be very effective to generate newsworthy content about your hotel. With the rise of an increasingly affluent middle class in China, many are looking for a more luxurious, prestigious hotel. Market your hotel as such an experience and aim to maximise and create positive news stories that reinforce such a brand image.
 

Utilize Key Opinion Leaders, they will test and recommend your Hotel to their followers

 These are the influential opinion leaders who shape views and opinions, people see them as experts on particular subjects. These type of celebrities or online personalities are especially popular in China. They have successfully gathered large communities of people around them. Different demographics can be targeted on social media via these key opinion leaders.

The benefit of this trend is that a ‘KOL’ can be recruited by your hotel and become instrumental in spreading a positive message. In this way, you can benefit from the KOL’s large online community and reach thousands or even millions of potential consumers in one go. Look for endorsements from celebrities who have visited.

Partner with Chinese travel agencies

Partnering with local, Chinese agencies who specialize in this market and have established connections is key. The vast majority of tourists will make bookings through these travel agencies online. Your online campaign has to be effective, coherent and far-reaching.

Agencies take care of Chinese tourists and can offer hotel packages in addition to flights and tours. Agencies will often organize ‘group’ travel. For your hotel, this is beneficial as it is likely to increase the number of potential guests. According to a report by the national tourism agency in China, 70% of Chinese people travel through agency organized groups.

Agencies can be generally hard to find, they have specific requirements and may already be working with contractors for many years. Having a strong digital media marketing campaign is important to enhance your reputation.

– Build connections with agencies so that your hotel is highly recommended or included in a package.

– Offer promotions and discounts. People will be seeking offers with discounted prices on rooms. Provide ‘group’ offers.
 

Due to tourists predominantly searching for information and booking holidays online one must understand the digital market and have close connections in China that enable the implementation of a marketing strategy. We are a highly reputable digital agency with a unique and specialist understanding of what the Chinese tourist is looking for, we specialize in implementing an effective strategy in this complex market.

Read also : China hotel online marketing

For more advice on attracting Chinese tourists click here.

For further information about this from our agency see this page.

If you have a project in mind feel free to contact us.

We are a Marketing Agency based in China and help the company to get Chinese clients.

14 comments

  • Medhi
    3 years ago Reply

    I have 4 stars hôtel in Marrakech and want to get more awareness in Chinese market

  • ROYALKATHMANDU
    5 years ago Reply

    Dear sir & Madam

    We are Hotel Royal Kathmandu which is located near New Bus Park Close to BG Mall. We want to Market our hotel to Chinese Tourists and Tour operators.
    We are 3 Star Deluxe Hotel with luxurious facility we have family king size Beds, Twin Rooms Beds, Twin Triple Rooms with its luxurious settings with large Bathroom offers unique presence as well as grand marble fittings in both floor for rooms. Rooms are equipped with state of the art technology including complimentary high internet speed .We are equipped with all modern Hotel amenities.

    • Olivier
      5 years ago Reply

      We can help you , but email is always better to connect with us.

    • Olivier
      5 years ago Reply

      Please contact us via email. We will help you, and explain you all solution that you have with pricing.

  • Ali
    5 years ago Reply

    Dear marketingtochina !
    At Chinese tourists service are provided comfortable rooms in a cozy hotel located in one of the quiet places of Tashkent not far from the center, we want to promote our Hotel proximity to the Tashkent International Airport and the Northern railway station.
    the hotel has a bar and a 24-hour restaurant, parking for cars, satellite TV, Wi-Fi.
    contact us

  • Lush garden hotel
    5 years ago Reply

    Hello !
    hope you are fine ! I would like to request you if possible to market our hotel through you page . Kindly send us your quotation or if you charge as a commission it will be much better

  • ramesh Kumarshrestha
    6 years ago Reply

    we are a do many marketing in china are working with chinese agencies for chinese tourist who are traveling to Thailand .
    You can visit the website of the hotel
    for more information you can sent us an Email

  • upul
    7 years ago Reply

    Dear Sir,

    We have a hotel in sri lanka, we want to promote our hotel for chinase guests, so kindly advise us.we can offer some benefits for marketing as 15%

    Best Regards,

    • Olivier
      6 years ago Reply

      Hello,
      please read this article, and after you will understand that your way does not work in China.
      Or give this 20% to Ctrip or Qunar. We can help you to register

  • Ramchandra Bdr Bhattarai
    8 years ago Reply

    Dear Olivier,

    I am very much interested in marketing my Hotel Da Yatra Courtyard, located in Pokhara, Nepal to Chinese Tourist. Please provide details of service n cost of marketing. How to optimize online sales n mobile bookings.
    Hope to hear from you soon!
    With warm regards,
    Ramchandra B Bhattarai
    Hotel Da Yatra Courtyard
    Managing Director
    Lakeside-6, Pokhara

    • Olivier
      6 years ago Reply

      Hello, Please send us an email for any enquiery. you will have much more chance to get a reply.
      🙂

  • Olivier
    8 years ago Reply

    Read our article and you will Know Ramhari. 😉

  • Ramhari Neupane
    8 years ago Reply

    i want to add my hotel in your web, could you please teach me how can i do it

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