Georgia Attract Chinese Tourists: Digital Marketing Report
Georgia is picking up speed as a destination for Chinese tourists. The country has everything that works well with this market: stunning landscapes you cannot find anywhere else in Europe, a food culture that photographs extremely well, wine history that goes back thousands of years, and visa-free entry for Chinese passport holders. The ingredients are there. The question is whether Georgia’s tourism operators know how to reach Chinese travelers where they actually look.
Four market facts that set the context:
- Chinese outbound tourism hit 130 million trips in 2024, with a growing share going to Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region (China Tourism Academy).
- Georgia saw a 47% increase in Chinese visitor numbers in 2024, with Tbilisi and Kazbegi being the two most searched Georgian destinations on Xiaohongshu (Jing Travel 2025 report).
- Independent Chinese travelers now represent over 60% of outbound trips, planning and booking entirely through Chinese apps (Ctrip Independent Travel Report 2025).
- The hashtag #格鲁吉亚旅行 (Georgia Travel) generated over 2 million views on Xiaohongshu in 2024, up from under 300,000 in 2022.
Chinese travelers are increasingly independent and digitally comfortable. They plan trips on their phones, read reviews from people they follow, and book directly through apps. B2C marketing on Chinese platforms gives Georgia’s tourism sector a direct line to this audience, without going through travel agents.
Practical steps to attract Chinese tourists to Georgia
1. Build a serious presence on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)
Xiaohongshu is where Chinese millennials and Gen Z go for travel inspiration. It works like a mix of Instagram and TripAdvisor, with a strong social trust element. Posts from real travelers carry more weight than ads. For Georgia, this platform is a natural fit.
Post high-quality photos and videos of what makes Georgia distinctive: the old city of Tbilisi, the Kazbegi mountains, natural wine from ancient qvevri vessels, the cave city of Vardzia. Work with Chinese travel KOLs to create authentic content about their Georgia experiences. Use hashtags like #格鲁吉亚旅行 (Georgia Travel) and #小众旅行 (niche travel destinations) to build discoverability. See our Xiaohongshu marketing services for more on this approach.
2. Build a Chinese-language website with Baidu SEO
A well-built Chinese website, hosted in China for fast load times, is the foundation of any serious effort to attract Chinese travelers. Without it, you do not show up on Baidu, and Baidu is where over 600 million people in China run their searches every month.
Localize everything: the content should be in simplified Chinese and focus on what Chinese tourists value about Georgia specifically. Include affordability compared to Western Europe, the visa-free policy, the unique cultural heritage, and the food. Optimize for keywords like 格鲁吉亚旅游 (Georgia tourism) and 独特的欧洲旅行 (unique European travel). Add booking links to Ctrip and Fliggy. Our services page covers how we help with this.
3. WeChat: the hub for everything
WeChat with over 1.3 billion monthly active users is not a marketing option, it is a requirement for any tourism operator serious about the Chinese market. Create an official WeChat account where you share itineraries, cultural tips and promotional offers. Build a mini program that lets users explore Georgia’s attractions and book tours directly. Run WeChat Moments campaigns during peak travel planning periods. Offer exclusive WeChat-only deals to drive bookings through the platform. See our WeChat marketing page for details.
4. Douyin: short video for fast discovery
Douyin is where travel decisions happen fast. A 60-second video of the Svaneti towers at sunset, the Tbilisi sulfur baths, or a wine tasting in a Kakheti vineyard can reach millions of potential visitors within days. Work with travel vloggers to document a “Day in Georgia” or a road trip across the country. Use trending music and keep the visuals strong. Practical and beautiful beats polished and corporate every time on this platform. Learn more about our Douyin marketing services.
5. Lead with Georgia’s strongest selling points for Chinese travelers
- Wine tourism: Georgia is the birthplace of wine with an 8,000-year history. That is a story Chinese travelers have not heard, and it photographs well.
- UNESCO heritage sites: Mtskheta and the cave city of Uplistsikhe both have strong appeal for culturally curious Chinese travelers.
- Visa-free entry: Chinese passport holders can enter Georgia visa-free. This is a significant practical advantage over most European destinations and should be front and center in all marketing.
- Affordable costs: Compared to Western Europe, Georgia is very accessible. For Chinese travelers who want a European experience at a reasonable price, Georgia is a strong option.
6. Build campaigns around Chinese festivals
Golden Week in October and Chinese New Year in January or February are the two peak moments for Chinese outbound travel. Create targeted campaigns on WeChat Moments, Xiaohongshu and Ctrip in the 4-6 weeks before each of these periods. Offer group packages, early booking discounts and itineraries designed for family travel. Chinese travelers plan ahead for these holidays, so your campaign timing needs to anticipate the booking window, not the travel date.
What success looks like
| Channel | Primary goal | Key action |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaohongshu | Discovery and social proof | Visual content, KOLs, hashtags |
| Douyin | Video inspiration, fast reach | Short videos, travel vloggers |
| Engagement, booking, loyalty | Official account, mini program, Moments ads | |
| Baidu SEO | Search visibility | Chinese-language site, keyword optimization |
| Ctrip + Fliggy | Direct bookings | Listed packages in Mandarin with reviews |
For further reading on Chinese outbound travel trends: Ctrip Outbound Travel Report 2024 and Statista China tourism market data.
Georgia has everything it needs to attract Chinese tourists. The destination is already being talked about on Xiaohongshu. The job now is to get the right content in front of the right people, consistently, on the platforms they actually use.
How CTA helps destinations attract Chinese tourists
Douyin
CTA produces and manages Douyin campaigns for destinations and tourism boards, connecting them with travel KOLs who have audiences among the 25-40 age group most likely to plan independent trips to new destinations. See our Douyin marketing page.
Xiaohongshu (RED)
We set up and run official accounts, create Mandarin content and manage KOL partnerships on Xiaohongshu for destinations that want to build visibility with Chinese independent travelers. For a destination like Georgia, Xiaohongshu is where the organic word-of-mouth starts.
We manage the full WeChat scope for tourism clients: official account, content calendar, Moments campaigns, customer service and WeChat Pay integration. Everything your destination needs to convert Chinese traveler interest into bookings. Full details at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services.
Pedro Wang is the founder of Chinese Tourists Agency, a digital marketing agency in Shanghai. He has been working with destinations and tourism operators on China market strategy since 2008. His approach: find what the destination does well and tell that story on the platforms where Chinese travelers are already looking.
I wanted to advertise my tour products on the China tourist platform. However, how would I get hooked up and sell my tour company?