V-Click Technology Unveils Cutting-Edge Digital Trends and Marketing Strategy for Captivating the Chinese Tourist Market at the Event “China’s Travel Rebound: Unleashing Digital Touchpoints with Chinese Travelers”
V-Click Technology Ltd (V-Click), Thailand-based marketing technology company connecting Southeast Asia’s consumer brands with the massive and fast-growing Chinese market, organised the seminar - “China’s Travel Rebound: Unleashing Digital Touchpoints with Chinese Travelers” - unveiling latest insights on the Chinese tourist market. The event featured insightful presentations by industry experts from the travel, advertising, and digital sectors, including renowned online travel agencies such as Trip.com Group and Meituan, alongside VGI and IClick Interactive, who presented on the latest Chinese consumer behaviour trends and cutting-edge strategies, offering brands and marketers innovative solutions to seize the opportunities to capture the Chinese consumer market. The presentations also covered invaluable insights into crafting precise and targeted strategies to engage Chinese travelers who are either visiting or residing in Thailand throughout their entire customer journey, starting from the beginning, continuing during their trip, and after their return.
The first presentation was given by Mr. Manatnan Lertwanichkitkul, Director of Sales (Online & O2O) of VGI PLC, who revealed that between January and May 2023, the Chinese tourist market grew by an astounding 98%. Mr. Lertwanichkitkul highlighted that Thailand stands as the ultimate dream destination for Chinese travelers, noting that the Free Independent Traveler (FIT) segment, which favors traveling in smaller groups over larger ones, emerges as the most captivating market segment.
Ms. Nattika Sai-Ngam, Sales Director of VGI PLC, further presented about “The Iconic of Bangkok”, notably, the advertisements on the BTS SkyTrains, which operate through the heart of Bangkok’s central business districts, encompassing “Hot Stations” like Asok, Chit Lom, Phrom Phong, National Stadium, Saphan Taksin and Mo Chit, with each stop offering access to destinations that can respond to the diverse traveling lifestyles and preferences of Chinese tourists, from luxury shopping and street food markets to fortunetelling. Ms. Sai-Ngam also pointed out the trend of “revenge shopping” among Chinese tourists, where each person would willingly spend up to THB 10,500 each time.
Ms. Stella Gu, Manager of Marketing and Advertising of Trip.com Group - China’s and Asia’s number one online travel platform and One Stop Solution provider, covering extensive services from travel search engine through Skyscanner to travel review platform through Trip Adviser - delivered a presentation on “The Key to Winning the Hearts of New Generation Chinese Travelers.” Her session offered in-depth insights from Trip.com on air travel and marketing trends in China which revealed Bangkok secured the 3rd spot as the favourite destination, with Phuket ranking 7th. Ms. Gu also revealed that new generation Chinese travelers are mostly young and educated. Ninety percent of these tourists tend to search information about their holiday destinations and make reservations through their mobile devices, with 82% opting for 4 to 5 stars accommodations. Presently, Trip.com has amassed over 4 billion downloads, primarily attracting Gen Y users, with 70% possessing high purchasing power, Ms. Gu added.
Mr. Jobby Zhang, Business Development Director of Meituan Dianping - China’s largest lifestyle platform, most popular among Chinese consumers for browsing information and searching reviews about products and services before making their purchasing decisions, as well as among outbound tourists looking to travel overseas - offered valuable insights about the preferences of Chinese tourists when visiting Thailand, from Thai cuisine, in particular seafood, and luxury and local shopping, to visiting natural attractions and spa activities.
Finally, Eric Cheng, Vice President of APAC & EMEA of iClick Interactive, and Ms. Chompoonuch Atipornpanich, Business Director of V-Click Technology, presented about the travel trends among Chinese tourists, especially affluent travelers with a taste for luxury brands. The pair also shared interesting insights from a case study, showcasing how Thai brands could utilise China’s digital platforms to effectively attract Chinese travelers throughout their journey, from their departure from China to their arrival in Thailand, leading to conversion and engagement.
“Our aim is to ignite creativity and empower brands and marketers in crafting compelling digital strategies to captivate Chinese tourists, who have demonstrated the world’s swiftest and most remarkable recovery in the market. This seminar was organized precisely for this purpose. By bringing together experts from diverse industries to share exclusive insights and information, our intention is to inspire and provide brands and marketers with invaluable ideas and inspirations that can be effectively utilized to their advantage,” Mr. Cheng noted.
