COVID-19 has greatly impacted the tourism industry. Consider this recent data: compared to the 420 million RMB reached in 2019 during China’s spring festival, the same period in 2020 reached just 152 million RMB.
The tourism industry is undoubtedly destroyed, and will experience several stages of recovery.
Overall, sightseeings and restaurants will recover slowly. To begin, the tourism industry may enter a comprehensive recovery when the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issues a notice to resume business activities among travel agencies. A full drive to develop domestic tourism will likely take place when the last COVID-19 patient is cured. As momentum is regained, the industry will at last reach the stage in which normal operations return. If all goes well, the tourism industry may even see a rebound.
What will you learn?
- The current disruptions in the tourism industry in China and the world
- The ways brands adjust to the current COVID-19 realities: pre-sales strategies, contactless service, cloud travel promotion, “Tourism +” strategy
- Trends for tourism recovery
- Is tourism in for a strong rebound in the near future?
What will the trends look like?
- Safety is first and foremost a priority.
- Customized Trips and Self-guided Trips: these tools will gain traction among young travellers. Data has shown post-80s and post-90s as the main force of travel users, and younger crowds will likely continue to dominate.
- A Hybrid Approach: tour groups will meet independent travel. A wave of “Daka” (打卡) is expected following the pandemic, bringing a huge rebound in social media “show off” photos showcasing the users’ trips.
- One-day / Short-distance / Domestic Travel: Tier 1-2 cities will be increasingly active and popular as a result.
The expectation of a rebound is not unrealistic considering:
- Supporting policies on tourism are in place in various provinces.
- A great rebound in tourism was observed following SARS. Overall, tourism income in 2004 increased by 40% compared with 2003. A similar parallel may occur with the current pandemic.
- The public may be more aggressive with consumption behaviours following months of lockdown. In this case, a prominent performance may even be expected this October. Supporting policies on tourism are in place in various provinces.
Here are some action tips for the tourism industry:
- Revise your plan for China and set realistic expectations.
- Create compelling offers and promotions for your region to target specific audiences in China.
- Optimise digital tools to promote and keep people excited for late 2020 and 2021. For example, celebrity and KOL livestream promotions on Douyin are highly effective.
- Launch your own merchandise and souvenirs on Tmall Global or through WeChat mini programs.
- Leverage videos, articles and diverse content to introduce your region. Tell your story so the audiences may learn about your location and get excited about future travel.
- Stay active on social media. Initiate interactions and introduce discussion topics or activities to maintain a strong connection with the audience.
What are the trends for the tourism and hospitality market recovery that companies need to watch for and when will these industries rebound? If you would like to know how brands can adjust pre-sales strategies and do cloud travel promotions and livestreaming, check out our webinar for your “Tourism +” Strategy.
About the Webinar
Topic: How Can Global Tourism Industry Adjust to China’s COVID-disrupted Travelling
Speakers: Wendy Chen, Sylvie Xie
For access to the presentation slides of the webinar, please click here.
Check out this webinar right now to get the most actionable insights! You can also visit our ChoZan webinar playlist on YouTube to check out our entire webinar series.
About the Speakers
Wendy Chen, Head of Digital Products at ChoZan
Wendy has over 2 years of experience in social media marketing projects. She helps brands understand how to leverage Weibo and niche platforms like Bilibili, Kuaishou, and Mafengwo. She closely tracks social media trends and as an expert on creative media campaigns, Wendy has lots of insights on KOLs and China’s fan economy. As a digital marketing trainer at ChoZan, Wendy has trained multinational clients from the FMCG, fashion and lifestyle sector. Through our exclusive China Marketing Circle, Wendy digs into the latest trends, insights and case studies related to modern Chinese consumers and shares them weekly with hundreds of brands and China watchers.
Sylvie Xie, Social Media Executive at ChoZan
Sylvie is an experienced Chinese social media marketing expert who helps brands to stay on top of the most recent trends for modern Chinese consumers and travellers. She not only runs social media marketing projects, she’s also a knowledgable trainer with a focus on paid advertising and promotional tools such as livestreaming.
Get in touch with our ChoZan team to see how we can help you with your China marketing strategies. You can also subscribe and become an official member of our China Marketing Circle to join a group of China watchers and receive the latest industry insights, trends, strategies and case studies in China.