Top of Digital marketing strategies for hotels to attract Chinese customers

In the sprawling digital arena, Chinese customers stand out as high-value targets for global hoteliers, especially in the luxury segment. Known for their penchant for opulence and high standards, Chinese travelers are not just looking for a place to stay; they seek an experience that exudes sophistication, comfort, and cultural reverence. With China’s digital ecosystem largely distinct from the West, tapping into this lucrative market requires a tailored, savvy approach in digital marketing.

Chinese tourists often gravitate towards luxury hotels for several reasons:

• Status Symbol: Staying at prestigious hotels is seen as a status symbol among Chinese travelers, who often share their experiences on social media to enhance their social standing.
• Quality and Service: Chinese customers have high expectations for service excellence, which luxury hotels are well-equipped to satisfy, offering personalized services and attention to detail.
• Cultural Compatibility: Luxury hotels that offer amenities and services tailored to Chinese cultural preferences, such as tea sets in rooms, Mandarin-speaking staff, and Chinese cuisine, tend to attract more guests from China.

What are most effective digital marketing strategies for Hotel in China in 2024?

Good question

1- RED – little Red book

2- Douyin (Tiktok)

3- Website – Baidu

4- Ctrip – Other booking platform

5- WeChat

Marketing strategies for hotels looking to attract Chinese customers

Are you a hotel trying to attract Chinese tourists? Well, you made the right decision because China has the biggest outbound tourism market in the world. 

Taping in the Chinese outbound tourism market is definitely the right approach to grow your overall business. You have access to several tools and have the opportunity to use various marketing strategies to attract your Chinese target market.

 

 

2: Partner with famous online Chinese and international travel agencies

 

Another way to be present on the Chinese tourism market and to attract Chinese tourists to stay at your hotel is to register to famous Chinese and International travel agencies. The main players in the OTA’s market in China are: Ctrip (with about ¼ of the market), followed by Tuniu, CY, LVmama and Aoyou.

Being on these websites will allow your hotel to not have to deal with how to find an reasonable audience for your website, gaining visibility and the use of payment tool. You may also consider having bilingual staff dedicated to booking management.

 

3: Be active on the Main Chinese Social Media

  

1. WeChat Marketing: WeChat remains the cornerstone of digital engagement in China, functioning as a mini-internet ecosystem. Hotels can leverage WeChat for everything from bookings to customer service. Custom WeChat mini-programs for bookings, special offers, and interactive customer service can significantly enhance guest engagement and convenience.
2. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) Presence: Xiaohongshu is a growing platform combining lifestyle sharing and e-commerce. Hotels can attract Chinese tourists by showcasing their luxury amenities and unique experiences through high-quality images and posts. Partnering with influencers to create authentic content on this platform can also drive bookings and enhance brand visibility.
3. KOL Collaborations: Collaborating with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and influencers can help hotels reach broader audiences. These influencers can create aspirational content that highlights the luxury, comfort, and exclusive services offered by the hotel, appealing directly to the Chinese market’s preferences.
4. Tailored Online Content: Creating content that resonates with Chinese cultural preferences is crucial. This includes having Mandarin versions of websites and using platforms like Youku instead of YouTube for video marketing. Content should highlight elements that appeal specifically to Chinese tourists, such as gourmet experiences, shopping opportunities, and family-friendly activities.
5. Utilizing Douyin for Visual Marketing: Douyin (TikTok) is an excellent platform for visual storytelling. Hotels can use Douyin to create engaging, short video tours of their facilities, special events, and unique local attractions. Live streams of hotel events or behind-the-scenes looks at hotel luxury can also drive engagement and interest among potential travelers.

 

 

Being active on these platforms will ensure that you have direct access to the Chinese audience and will help you to build your Chinese customer base.

The main social media platforms in China are very different from those of the West. In fact, since Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google and other social media are forbidden in China, you will have to adapt your digital strategy to the Chinese market.

 

4: Collaborate with KOL (Key Opinion Leader) : a big plus for Hotels 

 Finally, build further your e-reputation and create your hotel’s own story by collaborating with KOL known as Key Opinion Leaders.

They are people who are well regarded by a high number of Chinese people and thus are listened to and respected for their shared opinions. Depending on your hotel’s target market, you may choose a celebrity or online celebrity who shares the same values as your business and enjoys travelling to where you are at. These people, KOL, have thousands, even millions of followers and thus, have a huge influence on their fans. At the beginning of this paragraph, I talked about e-reputation. Do your best to communicate efficiently with your Chinese target market, understand their needs and do your best to have positive comments online. Why is it so important? It is important because Chinese people in general and even more Chinese tourists attach strong importance to their “Face”, a Chinese principle called Mian Zi. The principle of Mian Zi is deeply rooted in Chinese culture it can be defined has “honour” or “reputation” even though it’s way more complicated than that. It’s one of the main reasons why Chinese enjoy buying luxury items to show to their relatives and friends back home.

5 -Your own website in Chinese + Baidu SEO

 

With more than 860 million Baidu Internet users in China, having a strong presence online is a must. The question is how should you proceed? The first step on your way of being more visible on the Chinese market is to have your own website, but not any kind of website. Your website should be tailored to the Chinese market requirements.

Here are some tips to avoid any missteps in your digital marketing journey to attract Chinese visitors:

• Have a website with good usability
• Use Chinese Mandarin
• Publish high-quality content
• Make it SEO-friendly (make sure that its respect Baidu’s (first search engine in China) requirements.
• Diversify your content: high-quality pictures, videos, …

As a conclusion, before drafting your plan to attract Chinese tourists, you have to understand what are their habits and what they do value the most. What are your target market needs? In China, your marketing strategy should strongly focus on the Internet, social media, partnerships with KOL/Famous Chinese OTA’s and finally making sure that you have a great reputation.

Read more:

• Attracting Chinese tourists is all about digital 
• Why OTA’s in China have a great futur !