From global to local: driving brand success through cross cultural marketing

Impact of Chinese tourists on travel industry

Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were the world’s biggest spenders, accounting for 155m outbound trips and spending $255bn in travel expenses. In 2023, Chinese tourists regained their position as the leading overseas spenders, with UN Tourism reporting a total expenditure of $196.5bn – surpassing all other countries.

Europe remains a prime destination for Chinese tourists. European Travel Commission (ETC) reports a notable 83% increase in Chinese tourists’ interest in 2024, an impressive 9% rise from 2023, highlighting Europe’s ongoing appeal as Chinese tourism steadily rebound.

To capitalize on this demand, Turkish Airlines launched a successful targeted Petal Ads campaign by promoting European and Turkish destinations to high-end Chinese travelers. By strategically placing high quality visuals of Rome, Paris, Istanbul and other main capitals in premium ad spots during peak travel season, the campaign effectively engaged high-end Huawei users, achieving optimal visibility and maximised user interaction.

Why local relevance is essential for travel companies to succeed

Travel companies can build loyalty and understanding of the culture by incorporating local elements into their advertising campaigns, fostering respect and authentic engagement.

During the annual Huawei Developer Conference (HDC) 2024, Huawei shared research from Quest Mobile which emphasized how younger and affluent tourists are increasingly seeking out immersive cultural experiences that foster cultural engagement and for social media sharing.

For Gen Z, food is more than just sustenance – it is a key motivator for traveling abroad. 62% of Gen Z Chinese travelers cite indulging in culinary experiences as their top motivation for exploring new destinations.

By strategically aligning campaigns with local events and culinary offerings, tourism companies can provide authentic and personalized experiences that resonate with their customers’ cultural values, boost brand visibility and create a meaningful emotional connection with their audience.

Turning cultural awareness into campaign strategy with Petal Ads

Petal Ads, Huawei’s tailored mobile advertising platform, helps travel brands connect with Chinese tourists through highly engaging marketing campaigns. Access to first-party data allows precise audience targeting based on location, gender, age, their interests and even predictive tourism modelling, empowering brands to create personalised cross channel ad campaigns that maximises customer engagement and awareness.

Petal Ads enables brands to customize their strategies for regional markets, reflecting local heritage while staying culturally relevant. Brands can also easily create seasonal travel campaigns around key cultural events, ensuring that they are part of the local celebration while still maintaining their global image.

To tap into the growing influx of Chinese tourists, who collectively spent an estimated 1.13bn euros in Spain in 2023 according to Ifema Madrid, tourism companies must craft tailored marketing strategies that resonate with them. Madrid Turismo by Ifema Madrid launched a highly effective omnichannel campaign promoting high-end shopping and five-star hotels in Madrid to travelers from major metropolitan areas and emerging cities in China.

Utilizing Huawei’s advanced content solutions and Petal Ads, the campaign strategically placed engaging 3D-effect videos in its landing page on popular Huawei applications such as Newsfeed and Browser as well as cross linking to connected TV. The campaign achieved an exceptional 84-second average engagement, far exceeding the typical 10-12 second benchmark, highlighting Madrid’s appeal as an attractive travel destination for high-end Chinese tourists.

As Europe’s travel industry continues on an upward trend, the resurgence of Chinese tourists plays a pivotal role in its growth. To remain competitive, by leveraging on advanced marketing platforms like Petal Ads and cultivating a deeper understanding of local relevance in their campaigns, travel companies can further enhance their appeal and cater to the unique desires of Chinese consumers.