Cameron ArmstrongDi WangMichigan State University
HOTELS’ SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES FOR CHINESE MILLENNIALS
New Generation
CHINESE MILLENNIALS
OVERVIEW➜ Chinese Millennials
○ Increasing Buying Power○ Travel Habit Analysis
➜ Hotels’ Social Media Activities○ Current Activities Directed at Chinese
Millennials○ Chinese Millennials’ Reception of Social Media
Content○ Areas for Improvement
➜ Survey About Millennials and Survey Results➜ Proposed Social Media Strategies
Contributor of outbound global travel
66%Of Chinese Millennials belong to the high income bracket
Age 15-29Represented half of Chinese travelling abroad in 2015
NO.1
Top 5 Motivationsfor Selecting Intercontinental Destination
73%Ecotourism/N
ature
67%Cultural/Historical
61%Beaches/Seaside
Attractions
59%Urban
Attractions
54%Dining/
Gastronomy
Top 10 Destination Interest for Chinese in America
Visa Waiver Program▸ In 2012, the Visa Waiver
Program enabled visits for up to 90 days without having to obtain a Visa
▸ In 2014, the new “10 Year Visa” agreement enabled short-term visits for select reasons
Change in Tourism Spend Following Visa Waiver Program
Tourism Expenditure
Each Day
Chinese travelers average spending over
$1,100 when traveling abroad, excluding accommodation
Since 2012
China has been the world’s top tourism spender
In 2014
Chinese travelers
spent $165 Billion, 33%more than the second biggest spender
Increase in Accessibility▸2014: Six non-stop
airline routes added between USA and China
▸2015: Three non-stop airline routes announced
Chinese Tourists Lead Spending in 2014
Personalization
Hotel Market Social Media Trends
Mobile Bookings, Mobile Payment
Proximal Technology
Booking Abandonment
Experience Driven Strategies
Current Digital Footprint:
○ 845,000 followers on Chinese Social Media
Partnership Opportunities:
○ Consumer & Co-op
○ Trade Outreach
○ In-Kind Contributions
○ Social Media Programs
○ USA Discovery Training Program
BRAND USA
Highlighted Programs:
○ National Events Tool
○ Golf Video & Distribution Platform
○ Red Robot
Survey of MillennialsSurveyed 100 Millennials
○46 Chinese
○ 54 American
Asked questions regarding:○ Daily usage of Social Media○ Popularity of certain Social Media in home countries○ Amount of hotel advertisements experienced in home
countries○ Appeal of certain Social Media elements○ Click-through conversions
Survey Results▸ Usage of Social Media
▹For Chinese Participants▹ WeChat (650M users), Weibo (150M users)
▹ Banned in China: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram▹For American Participants▹ Facebook, Instagram
▸ Most Attractive Content▹Discounts and Customer Reviews
▸ Respondents’ Comments▹Make advertisement’s contents efficient▹Desire more detailed descriptions of hotel
surroundings
Solutions○Make more distinguished advertising
campaigns targeting Chinese Millennials through social media○ One-click booking through WeChat and Weibo○ Push marketing through discounts and special events○ Pull marketing through customer reviews and
descriptive web content○ Adjusting promotions, adapting to Chinese culture
Solutions Cont.○Advertise in anticipation of
popular travel times, such as summer break and Chinese New Year
○Enable advertisements through proximal technology
SummaryChinese Millennials are:
o Demographic with largest annual tourism spendo Increasing travel to Americao Evolving in technological needso Adopting specific social media
American Companies should:o Further develop and customize hotel advertisements on
Chinese Social Media Networkso Tailor advertisements to target Chinese Millennialso Consider partnering with Brand USA
Thank You!Any questions?Cameron ArmstrongDi Wang
Michigan State University