As Europe prepares for the spectacle of the European Championship and the eagerly awaited Paris Olympics, there's been a noticeable uptick in Chinese tourism across the continent. This trend presents a prime opportunity for brands to engage with a sought-after demographic that's keen to soak up the European experience.
Yet, the question remains: Which brands will truly resonate with these Chinese visitors during this peak travel period? More critically, how can they effectively reach out to Chinese tourists? Grasping the subtleties of Chinese consumer preferences, employing sophisticated digital marketing tactics, and tapping into the platforms that this audience prefers are essential for capitalizing on this market growth. In our thorough analysis, we'll explore how our company's proficiency in targeting Chinese travelers can be instrumental in ensuring brands stand out during this exciting surge of interest.
European Championship and Paris Olympics Fuel Wave of Chinese Tourism to Europe
As summer rolls in, Europe becomes an increasingly popular destination for travelers, with the continent’s grand sporting events drawing global attention. This year, with the UEFA European Championship in full swing in Germany and the Paris Olympics set to captivate audiences in summer vacation, there is an unprecedented surge in travel enthusiasm among Chinese tourists — a sentiment reflected in soaring data from various Chinese Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).
Qunar observed a remarkable trend: since the start of June, searches for Germany, the proud host of the Euro Cup, have tripled compared to May, with Berlin, the city that will witness the finale, experiencing a staggering 103% rise in search heat week-over-week. During the European Championship period (June 15th to July 14th), international flight bookings to Germany have doubled year-over-year, while hotel reservations have surged by 150%, with a notable 25% price increase. Cities hosting the event, such as Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt, are particularly popular, with hotel bookings in Berlin up by 400%, and Munich by 300%.
The approaching Paris Olympics (July 26th to August 11th) has further fueled interest. Airbnb's recent report underscores this trend, identifying the Olympics as a major draw for Chinese visitors to Europe. France is gearing up for a major tourism influx, with search interest nearly eight times higher than the previous year, making it the second most popular destination for Chinese tourists. Paris, in particular, has emerged as the top European city for summer searches, witnessing an elevenfold increase in interest. The "2024 Summer Travel Market Forecast Report" released by Ctrip Group also confirms this trend, with chartered tour bookings to this area increasing by more than 50 percent. Popular group tours and chartered tour routes include "France-Italy-Switzerland" and "Netherlands-Belgium-Luxembourg-Germany-France."
Meanwhile, 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and both countries will jointly host the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism. During this year, hundreds of themed events in various fields such as performing arts, visual arts, cultural heritage, and tourism promotion will be successively launched. This remarkable confluence of events is expected to catalyze a surge in Chinese tourists eager to explore France's rich cultural tapestry, its iconic landmarks, and the excitement of the global sporting spectacle.
iPinYou collected data from 3rd-party indicated a surge in travel to Europe during the peak summer months from June to September, with France being the top destination and Germany following closely behind.
Source: 3rd-party data collected by iPinYou
What brands will benefit from this EU travel peak?
The surge in Europe-bound tourism from China, driven by major sporting events and cultural attractions, presents a valuable opportunity for a diverse range of brands to capitalize on this travel fever.
Luxury goods, beauty and cosmetics, fashion and retail brands are particularly well-positioned to thrive as Chinese tourists are showing a growing interest in high-end shopping and authentic local experiences. In addition, the surge in demand for airline, hotel, and travel agency bookings presents a favorable opportunity for these brands to effectively execute their marketing strategies.
These industries can leverage targeted advertising strategies aimed at Chinese travelers to maximize brand visibility and engagement. By tapping into the preferences of these tourists for quality products and unique experiences, brands can forge stronger connections and drive sales during this peak travel season.
How to Target Chinese Travellers Precisely?
At iPinYou, we are at the forefront of leveraging advanced marketing technologies to target these enthusiastic audience precisely. Our collaboration with China Aviation Data (CAD) and mainstream media platforms in China enables us to reach Chinese travelers who have already confirmed their European journeys. This creates a golden opportunity for brands looking to enhance their presence in the Chinese market, ensuring campaigns achieve greater KPIs.
Case Study: Elevating a Global Beauty Brand's Presence in Duty-Free Shops During Labor Holiday Travel
Background:
In the face of a reduction in public domain traffic, increasing costs for customer retention and acquisition, and intense competition in the industry, one globally recognized beauty and skincare brand sought to make a precise marketing of its hero products in stock competition so as to gain a foothold in the industry.
Objective:
The main objective was to increase the global awareness of the brand and its hero product, stimulate in-store foot traffic and purchases in duty-free stores, improve sales figures, and maintain competitive advantage within the industry. This was to be achieved by targeting potential customers efficiently and effectively, ensuring that marketing efforts translated into tangible results.
Strategy:
iPinYou formulated a three-pronged strategy to accomplish precise marketing for the brand:
1. Our audience strategy leverages iPinYou's ability to gather comprehensive, full lifecycle crowd data from CAD, allowing us to precisely target individuals who have confirmed their travel plans by purchasing plane tickets, targeting tourists who had booked flights from China to countries where the duty-free shops were located. By tracking tourist behavior and flight dynamics, we can deliver pinpointed ads to the right audience at the ideal moment.
2. Enhancing exposure by aligning with the media consumption preferences of the identified target audience. On the media front, iPinYou ensures that we reach the target audience through their preferred OTAs (TongCheng), travelling tool apps (Youdao Translator, Moji Weather, Meitu, etc.) and audio-class apps (NetEase CloudMusic, Himalaya, KuGou Music, etc) which they frequently use. This enables us to exert a sustained influence on your target consumers.
3. Additionally, the geo-targeting strategy was leveraged. Chinese main cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Chengdu led outbound tourism to the countries where the duty-free shops were located. Travellers in these areas are the key target group in this campaign.
Results:
During the Labor Day holiday period, the brand achieved substantial exposure, with the campaign's click-through rate (CTR) exceeding its completion goals by over 200%.
As the Chinese market's fervor for European sports and travel continues to grow, brands have a unique chance to engage with this dynamic audience. iPinYou stands ready to help your brand harness this momentum, offering unparalleled precise marketing to reach Chinese tourists eager to immerse themselves in the European summer of sports.
Let's connect and explore how we can elevate your brand's impact during this European summer of sports.
