Skift Take
More destinations understand that WeChat is a different ball game than western channels and they're getting smarter about how to reach Chinese travelers on the platform. The challenge is showing how Paris, for instance, is different from a city in Belgium or Germany that also wants to attract more tourism.
Many destinations from all corners of the globe are trying to reach Chinese travelers with ad and marketing messages as nearly 140 million Chinese traveled internationally last year.
The challenge in spreading those messages in China is making them stand out from competitors on platforms such as WeChat, the largest messaging and digital commerce mobile app in China.
That's according to Roger Qiu, Ctrip's general manager of destination marketing for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, who spoke during a call organized by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) on Chinese tourism growth and trends in Europe in 2017 and beyond. Ctrip is China's largest booking site and has been investing in tour operators and other tourism businesses to deepen its strength abroad.
Qiu said that many European destinations, which have experienced steep growth in Chinese arrivals in recent years, are having a difficult time differentiating themselves in photos and videos, for example, on WeChat.
"In Chinese travelers' minds, many European countries are very similar," Qiu said during the call. "But it's not always about the picture, it's the story behind the picture you have to educate our clients with."
Having captivating photos and storylines on WeChat and othe
