Videos: a Kick-Ass Strategy for Tourism in China
Short video is the most powerful marketing tool for reaching Chinese travelers right now. Platforms like Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), Kuaishou and WeChat Channels have over a billion active users combined. When a Chinese person wants to decide where to travel, what hotel to book or what restaurant to visit, they watch short videos first. Not Google, not travel brochures. Short videos on Douyin.
If your tourism business is not producing video content for Chinese platforms you are missing the most important research channel for this audience. This article explains why this matters and how to use it properly.
Why Short Video Dominates Travel Decisions in China
Douyin has over 700 million daily active users in China. The average user spends more than 100 minutes per day on the app. That is enormous. And travel content performs particularly well because it is visual. A 30-second video of a Bali sunrise, a Paris bakery or a safari in South Africa can generate more desire than any written article.
The algorithm is aggressive about showing users content they will like. If someone watches three travel videos about Thailand they will see more Thailand content. The platform creates its own demand. This is why a single video from a popular KOL can send thousands of Chinese tourists to one specific location.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, over 68% of Chinese travelers in 2025 said they discovered a new destination through short video content before searching for more information. That number was 41% in 2022. The shift is fast and real.
Douyin: The Platform You Cannot Ignore
Douyin is the dominant platform for travel inspiration in China. It is different from international TikTok. The content on Douyin tends to be more polished and the audience is older and higher-income than you might expect. Many of Douyin’s travel content consumers are exactly the 28-45 year old professionals with disposable income that tourism brands want to reach.
Travel marketers use Douyin in two main ways. First, organic content posted by KOLs who visit a destination and create authentic short videos. Second, paid Douyin ads which allow precise targeting by age, income level, interest category and geographic location inside China. Both work. KOL content builds trust, ads build reach.
Kuaishou and WeChat Channels: The Supporting Players
Kuaishou is Douyin’s main rival with over 350 million daily active users. Its audience tends to be more from smaller cities and rural areas. For destinations targeting budget-conscious travelers or family groups this is a valuable platform. Kuaishou also has a strong live streaming feature that works well for hotel tours and destination walkthroughs in real time.
WeChat Channels is newer but growing fast. Because it lives inside WeChat it benefits from the social graph of existing users. Content is more likely to be shared among friends and colleagues. For premium brands targeting corporate travelers and business audiences this is a useful channel. You can manage your WeChat Channel directly from your WeChat Official Account.
What Philip Chen Says About Video Marketing for Tourism
“The brands that get video marketing right in China understand one thing: it’s entertainment first and advertising second. Chinese consumers on Douyin are not looking for ads. They are looking for content that makes them feel something, that makes them want to go somewhere. The successful travel brands we work with produce content that looks like it was made by a traveler, not by a marketing department. Real moments, real food, real views. If the video looks like a commercial people scroll past it in two seconds. If it looks real they save it, share it and book the trip.”
Philip Chen, digital marketing expert
Case Study: A Maldives Resort That Went Viral on Douyin
Sophie Marchand managed marketing for a mid-range water villa resort in the Maldives. Beautiful property, competitive pricing but almost invisible to Chinese travelers. Her Chinese booking rate in early 2024 was less than 5% of total occupancy despite the Maldives being a dream destination for Chinese honeymooners.
The resort had tried some WeChat posts before but with no real strategy and no audience. In March 2024 Sophie decided to run a proper Douyin campaign. The agency she hired identified three Chinese KOLs who specialized in romantic travel and honeymoon content. One had 420,000 followers, one had 180,000 and one had 95,000. The smaller two were KOCs, more trusted by their niche audiences than bigger names.
Each KOL came for four nights. They received free accommodation and a daily credit for food and activities. No script. They created their own content: sunrise snorkeling videos, sunset champagne moments, underwater dining footage. The 420,000-follower creator posted a 52-second video of feeding fish from her villa deck at sunrise. It hit 4.1 million views in one week. Douyin’s algorithm pushed it hard because early engagement was extremely high.
Results over the following three months: 67 Chinese couple bookings confirmed, average stay 5 nights, average spend $3,200 per couple. Total additional revenue from Chinese guests: approximately $215,000. Total cost of the campaign including KOL fees and the three stays: $22,000. That is a return of nearly 10x on the investment.
Sophie now runs two Douyin KOL campaigns per year, targeting Chinese New Year and Golden Week. She also has a permanent WeChat account and accepts WeChat Pay. “The viral video changed everything” she said. “We went from invisible to waiting list in 90 days. You can’t buy that kind of result with traditional advertising.”
How to Make Video Content That Works for Chinese Tourists
Making effective Douyin content is not complicated but there are rules. For more context on how to build a complete Chinese digital strategy for tourism check our Douyin marketing guide.
- Keep it short: 15-45 seconds is the sweet spot for Douyin. Longer videos lose viewers fast.
- Start strong: the first 3 seconds decide if someone keeps watching. Open with your best visual.
- Use music: trending Chinese music tracks get algorithmic boost. Your KOL will know which tracks work.
- Show real moments: real food, real people, real reactions. Staged content underperforms authentic content every time.
- Add Chinese subtitles: many Chinese users watch with sound off, especially in public places.
According to Mafengwo data, destinations featured by Douyin KOLs with over 100,000 followers saw an average 35% increase in Chinese search traffic within two weeks of a popular post going live. The link between video content and booking intent is direct.
Quick Reference: Video Platforms for Chinese Tourism Marketing
| Platform | Daily Users | Best For | Content Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douyin | 700M+ | All tourism segments | 15-60 sec short video |
| Kuaishou | 350M+ | Family travel, budget segments | Short video, live stream |
| WeChat Channels | 500M+ | Business, luxury audiences | Short video, live events |
| RED (Xiaohongshu) | 300M+ | Lifestyle, luxury travel | Photo + text + short video |
How GMA Can Help You With Video Marketing for Chinese Tourists
Our team at GMA manages video campaigns for tourism brands on Douyin, Kuaishou and WeChat Channels. We handle everything from KOL selection to content strategy to performance tracking. Here is what we offer:
- Douyin (TikTok China) campaigns with KOL identification, briefing and campaign management
- WeChat Official Account management including WeChat Channels video content
- Baidu SEO and PPC to capture Chinese search traffic after video content drives awareness
- RED (Xiaohongshu) influencer marketing for photo and short video content
- Chinese website design and localization to convert traffic into bookings
- KOL and KOC partnerships across all budget levels and destination types
About GMA
GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) is a Chinese digital marketing agency based in Shanghai, operating since 2012. We work with tourism brands, hotels, real estate companies and luxury businesses that want to attract Chinese clients. Our services cover Douyin, WeChat, Baidu, RED and Chinese website design. We have helped hundreds of international brands build real visibility in China. See all our services at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services.
Written by Claire, Chinese tourism marketing specialist at GMA. March 2026.
