Chinese tourists are the new driving force of Thailand's tourism economy.
In recent years, Chinese tourists have become a major driving force in Thailand's tourism economy, ranking among the top visitors to Thailand from across Asia.
Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for travel from Chinese tourists continues to increase. Their popularity of Thai culture, food, and lifestyle travel experiences has forced Thai businesses to adapt in order to attract this group as much as possible.
The heart of the competition isn't just about promotions, but about "accessing information" through the channels that Chinese people actually use—namely, Chinese social media—and employing strategies specifically tailored to marketing to Chinese tourists.
MMG Thailand It was stated that in 2023, China became the world's largest outbound tourism market, with over 101 million Chinese travelers and total spending reaching US$196.5 billion.
The behavior of Chinese tourists in the digital age is characterized by searching, sharing, and making decisions through social media.
Chinese tourists are the world's heaviest internet users, with over 90% conducting pre-travel searches, primarily through Chinese social media. These searches include reviews of tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, and trending experiences.
The latest survey results Dragon Trail The study found that Chinese social media platforms have become the number one source of inspiration for Chinese tourists, accounting for 50% of the "starting point" before deciding to travel.
A key characteristic of behavior is:
- Chinese tourists often search using Xiaohongshu, WeChat, or Dianping to view photos, real reviews, and travel routes.
- When they arrived in Thailand, they took photos, shared stories, and wrote reviews, which in turn influenced their friends on social media.
- Decisions regarding where to eat, stay, and shop are often based on reviews and content from influencers.
Therefore, understanding this behavior is core to marketing to Chinese tourists in alignment with their digital information search journey, in order to create effective marketing strategies for Chinese tourists for the Thai tourism industry.
Why Thai travel brands should use Chinese social media as the heart of their marketing strategy.
Many Thai tourism businesses still rely on marketing on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. However, for Chinese tourists, these platforms are not the primary communication channels. Therefore, marketing to Chinese tourists must begin on Chinese tourism platforms that Chinese people actually use.
The main reasons include:
- Helps build brand awareness before your trip.
- Increase credibility with real reviews from Chinese people.
- Encouraging the use of services while traveling.
- It amplifies word-of-mouth marketing, which has a wide-ranging impact on Chinese social media.
Posting in the right place, in the right style, and in the right language is key to success on Chinese social media for Thai businesses in the modern era. If you want to learn more about marketing in China, you can read more here. Explore the Chinese market comprehensively: Strategies on Weibo, Baidu, WeChat, and TikTok China.
WeChat is a comprehensive communication and customer service platform for Chinese tourists.
WeChat is more than just a chat app; it's a "Super App"—a digital channel that Chinese people use daily for communication, payments, searching for shops, and accessing various mini-programs. Thai tourism brands can use WeChat to market to Chinese tourists in many ways, such as:
- Create an official account to provide travel information.
- We provide a chat service to answer your questions in real time.
- Using WeChat Pay makes it easier for customers to pay.
- Create a mini-program for booking tours, restaurants, or other services.
Due to China's closed system, reaching Chinese tourists through WeChat is a strategy that all types of tourism businesses should adopt.
Xiaohongshu: The power of reviews and word-of-mouth that inspire travel.
Xiaohongshu (RED) is a haven for lifestyle reviews and discoveries. Chinese people use this platform to find "inspiration" before traveling.
With content that emphasizes beautiful images, authentic information, and first-hand testimonials, Thai tourism businesses can effectively use Xiaohongshu travel reviews to market to Chinese tourists. For example:
- Reviews of tourist attractions, cafes, restaurants, and photo spots.
- Use KOLs/KOCs to create content to increase credibility.
- Promote local activities or trends in Thailand.
- Create brand-specific hashtags to improve search visibility in the system.
Being on Xiaohongshu means being at the beginning of the exploration journey for modern Chinese tourists.
Weibo & Dianping: Create buzz and attract tourists to your store.
Besides WeChat and Xiaohongshu, platforms like Weibo and Dianping also play a crucial role in creating a comprehensive Chinese social media ecosystem.
- Weibo is ideal for creating buzz due to its Twitter-like format, which emphasizes the speed of information dissemination. Brands can use it for campaigns, coupon giveaways, or creating viral content to attract Chinese tourists and promote their destinations.
- Dianping is China's "TripAdvisor," featuring a review system, check-ins, restaurant ratings, and maps. Thai restaurants and cafes should have a profile on this platform to make it easier for Chinese customers to make decisions. This is a strategy for building buzz on Chinese social media for Thai restaurants.
Utilizing Weibo Marketing and Dianping strengthens Chinese tourist marketing, encompassing both image and trust among travelers.
Chinese tourists search for travel information about Thailand on Chinese social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, WeChat, Weibo, and Dianping because genuine reviews and user content have a strong influence on their travel decisions.
The integrated strategy utilizes multiple platforms to connect Chinese tourist routes (China Tourist Funnel).
Looking at the travel journey of Chinese tourists, from "pre-travel research – decision – arrival in Thailand – post-service review," it becomes clear that multiple platforms need to be used together.
The China Tourist Funnel can be divided as follows:
- Awareness: Use Weibo and Xiaohongshu to spread information and inspiration.
- Consideration: Use RED and Dianping to build credibility based on genuine reviews.
- Conversion: Use WeChat Official Account and Mini-Program to book and make payments.
- Advocacy: Encourage the sharing of posts, experiences, and reviews back to Chinese social media.
This integrated system allows Thai brands to achieve comprehensive marketing results for Chinese tourists. If you want professional Chinese tourist marketing services with the help of Chinese marketing experts, you can check out our services at [link/website]. Chinese Digital Marketing
Tips for effective communication with Chinese tourists.
To succeed in Chinese social media marketing and marketing to Chinese tourists, Thai businesses should know the following tips.
- Use Chinese naturally. It is recommended to have a native speaker review it.
- Understand Chinese culture, such as auspicious numbers, festivals, or symbols favored by the Chinese people.
- Design content that focuses on experiential tourism marketing. Beautiful and realistic images and videos are what Chinese consumers value.
- Utilize reviews and build credibility with Chinese KOLs/KOCs appropriately, as Chinese consumers trust reviews from real users more than advertisements. This is a technique for building credibility for Thai brands using reviews from Chinese tourists.
- Create promotions specifically for Chinese tourists, such as coupons on Dianping or exclusive deals on WeChat.
Understanding both behavior and culture will clearly make communication more "effective."
In summary, shifting from seller to experience creator is the key to survival for Thai businesses in the Chinese tourist market.
In today's increasingly competitive tourism industry, Thai businesses must move beyond simply providing services and become creators of memorable experiences, from before departure to after their return to China.
Systematic use of Chinese social media is a powerful tool for building brand image, driving purchasing decisions, and amplifying word-of-mouth marketing. Strategizing to align with Chinese consumer behavior will maximize the effectiveness of marketing to Chinese tourists.
Thai businesses that understand the Chinese online world ahead of others will seize the immense opportunities in the continuously growing Chinese tourism market. If your business needs to professionally market to Chinese tourists with superior Chinese social media strategies, with the help of an expert agency, contact HelloAds, a full-service Chinese marketing agency. Facebook Page: HelloAds Or a website HelloAds Agency
